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Elgaria kingii

Gray, 1838

Madrean Alligator Lizard

G5Secure Found in 30 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
LowThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.104450
Element CodeARACB01020
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyAnguidae
GenusElgaria
Synonyms
Gerrhonotus kingii
Other Common Names
Madrean alligator lizard (EN)
Concept Reference
Good, D. A. 1988b. Phylogenetic relationships among gerrhonotine lizards: an analysis of external morphology. University of California Publication Zoology 121.
Taxonomic Comments
Elgaria kingii formerly was included in the genus Gerrhonotus (see Good 1988). Three subspecies were described (ferrea, kingii, and nobilis). See Good (1988) for taxonomic treatments of gerrhonotine lizards.

Molecular data support recognition of the family Anniellidae and anguid subfamilies Gerrhonotinae and Anguinae as monophyletic groups (Macey et al. 1999).
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-05-13
Change Date1996-10-23
Edition Date2005-05-10
Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.
Threat ImpactLow
Range Extent20,000-2,500,000 square km (about 8000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences21 - 300
Range Extent Comments
The range extends from central and southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico southward in the Sierra Madre Occidental to Jalisco and Colima, Mexico (Loeza-Corichi and Flores-Villela, 1995, Herpetological Review 26:108; Stebbins 2003). In Arizona, the species occurs in the Huachuca, Santa Rita, Pajarito, and Chiricahua Mountains (Stebbins 2003). In New Mexico, it occurs throughout the Mogollon Plateau and in several isolated mountain ranges to the south, eastward to Socorro, Sierra, and Dona Ana counties (Degenhardt et al. 1996). The elevational range extends from 2,400 feet to about 9,000 feet (730-2,770 m) (Stebbins 2003).
Occurrences Comments
The species is known from at least several dozen sites (Webb 1970). Degenhardt et al. (1996) mapped approximately 40 locations in New Mexico.
Threat Impact Comments
No major threats have been identified.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include pine-oak woodlands, riparian areas of canyon floors in mountain ranges, juniper-grassland, chaparral, high dry grassland, oak woodland, open pine-fir forest, and talus; this is primarily a montane species, but it also occurs along major drainages in desert (e.g., creosotebush) and grassland (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Stebbins 2003). The lizards hide among logs, rocks, dense vegetation, and leaf litter.

Reproduction

Lays a clutch of 9-15 eggs June-July.
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceousDesert
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS5Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
Roadless Areas (30)
Arizona (23)
AreaForestAcres
Ash CreekPrescott National Forest7,663
Black CanyonPrescott National Forest10,683
Black River CanyonApache-Sitgreaves National Forests11,817
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
Connell MountainsPrescott National Forest7,926
East Clear CreekCoconino National Forest1,613
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Grief HillPrescott National Forest12,535
Happy ValleyCoronado National Forest7,972
HellsgateTonto National Forest6,171
Lower RinconCoronado National Forest3,278
Lower San FranciscoApache-Sitgreaves National Forests59,310
MazatzalTonto National Forest16,942
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Santa TeresaCoronado National Forest8,929
Sierra Ancha Wilderness ContiguousTonto National Forest7,787
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
Walker MountainCoconino National Forest6,382
WhetstoneCoronado National Forest20,728
New Mexico (7)
AreaForestAcres
Apache Kid ContiguousCibola National Forest67,542
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Lower San FranciscoGila National Forest26,460
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Sawyers PeakGila National Forest59,743
References (12)
  1. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  2. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  3. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  4. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  5. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  6. Degenhardt, W. G., C. W. Painter, and A. H. Price. 1996. Amphibians and reptiles of New Mexico. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque. xix + 431 pp.
  7. Good, D. A. 1988a. Allozyme variation and phylogenetic relationships among the species of <i>Elgaria </i> (Squamata: Anguidae). Herpetologica 44:154-62.
  8. Good, D. A. 1988b. Phylogenetic relationships among gerrhonotine lizards: an analysis of external morphology. University of California Publication Zoology 121.
  9. Knight, R. A., and D. Duerve. 1987. Notes on distribution,habitat, and sexual dimorphism of <i>Gerrhonotus kingii</i> (Lacertilia: Anguidae). Southwest. Nat. 32:283-285.
  10. Macey, J. R., J. A. Schulte, II, A. Larson, B. S. Tuniyev, N. Orlov, and T. J. Papenfuss. 1999. Molecular phylogenetics, tRNA evolution, and historical biogeography in anguid lizards and related taxonomic families. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 12:250-272.
  11. Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
  12. Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.