Coleonyx variegatus

Leavitt (2015) presented evidence, based on mt and nuDNA sequences, that C. v. variegatus and C. v. abbotti constitute lineages with limited bi-directional nuclear gene flow and that C. v. bogerti and C. v. utahensis are not differentiated from C. v. variegatus (Crother 2017).

For many years Coleonyx geckos were placed in the family Gekkonidae. In a cladistic analysis of the Gekkonoidea, Kluge (1987) placed the genus Coleonyx in the family Eublepharidae (subfamily Eublepharinae), recognized as distinct from the Gekkonidae. Bartlett and Bartlett (1999), Grismer (2002), and Stebbins (2003) likewise placed Coleonyx in the Eublepharidae, whereas Dixon (2000) retained Coleonyx in the Gekkonidae.

This species is widespread in desert and semi-desert habitats across the southwestern United States, Baja California, and western Mexico. Habitat loss and road mortality are localized and not considered major threats. There have been some historical declines in some areas, but populations currently appear to be stable overall.

In the United States, the range of this species encompasses southern California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, western and southern Arizona (including the Little Colorado River Basin), and extreme southwestern New Mexico (Grismer 2002, Person and Nowak 2004, Stebbins 2003). In Mexico, the species occurs throughout Baja California (except high mountains) and in western Sonora (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003). Coleonyx variegatus also occurs on islands in the Gulf of California and off the western coast of Baja California. The elevational range extends from below sea level in desert sinks to about 2,000 m (6,560 feet) (Grismer 2002, Stebbins 2003).

This species has been found in hundreds of sites (that approximate occurrences) that are well distributed throughout the range.

Locally, in the northern part of the range, threats include conversion of habitat to human uses (e.g., development of retirement communities and associated infrastructure), but overall the species is not threatened. Road mortality is likely a threat in parts of its range (Gerow et al. 2010).