Home/Species/ Crevice Spiny Lizard

Sceloporus poinsettii

Baird and Girard, 1852

Crevice Spiny Lizard

G5Secure Found in 21 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →

G5SecureGlobal Rank

Least concernIUCN

LowThreat Impact

Identity

Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103371

Element CodeARACF14110

Record TypeSPECIES

ClassificationSpecies

Classification StatusStandard

Name CategoryVertebrate Animal

IUCNLeast concern

Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

KingdomAnimalia

PhylumCraniata

ClassReptilia

OrderSquamata

FamilyPhrynosomatidae

GenusSceloporus

Other Common Names

crevice spiny lizard (EN)

Concept Reference

Webb, R. G. 2006. Variation in the Crevice Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus poinseffii Baird and Girard. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 42(2):65-114.

Taxonomic Comments

Webb (2006) recognized five subspecies of S. poinsettii, two of which occur in the United States. Given the large area inhabited by lizards not assigned to any of the five subspecies, geographic variation in this taxon deserves further study (Crother 2017).

Conservation Status

Review Date2005-07-25

Change Date1996-10-28

Edition Date2005-07-25

Edition AuthorsHammerson, G.

Threat ImpactLow

Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)

Number of Occurrences81 to >300

Range Extent Comments

The range extends from southern New Mexico to central Texas, and south to Zacatecas, Mexico (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Bartlett and Bartlett 1999, Dixon 2000, Stebbins 2003). Elevational range: 1,000-9,245 feet (300-2,818 meters) (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Stebbins 2003).

Occurrences Comments

This species is represented by many occurrences. Degenhardt et al. (1996) mapped more than 100 collection sites in New Mexico alone. Dixon (2000) mapped its occurrence in three dozen counties in Texas.

Threat Impact Comments

No major threats are known.

Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

This lizard occupies rocky canyons, gullies, hillsides, and outcrops in largely barren areas, mesquite grassland, creosote bush desert, arid woodland (e.g., oak/pinyon pine/juniper), and spruce-fir forest (Degenhardt et al. 1996). It is invariably closely tied to rocks and seeks shelter in crevices (Degenhardt et al. 1996, Stebbins 2003).

Ecology

Annual mortality: newborn (86%), yearlings (54%), adults (57%) in Texas (Ballinger 1973).

Reproduction

Gives birth to litter of 6-23 young, June-July. Sexually mature in second year (Ballinger 1973).

Terrestrial Habitats

Woodland - MixedDesertBare rock/talus/screeCliff

Palustrine Habitats

Riparian

Other Nations (1)

United StatesN5

Province	Rank	Native
New Mexico	S4	Yes
Texas	S5	Yes

Roadless Areas (21)

Arizona (1)

Area	Forest	Acres
Lower San Francisco	Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests	59,310

New Mexico (20)

Area	Forest	Acres
Apache Kid Contiguous	Cibola National Forest	67,542
Capitan Mountains	Lincoln National Forest	14,069
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold Wilderness	Gila National Forest	111,883
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive Area	Gila National Forest	79,049
Culp	Lincoln National Forest	3,251
Devils Creek	Gila National Forest	89,916
Dry Creek	Gila National Forest	26,719
Elk Mountain	Gila National Forest	6,550
Goat Spring	Cibola National Forest	5,755
Jefferies Canyon	Lincoln National Forest	8,934
Last Chance Canyon	Lincoln National Forest	8,934
Little Dog And Pup Canyons	Lincoln National Forest	25,412
Meadow Creek	Gila National Forest	34,167
Ortega Peak	Lincoln National Forest	11,545
Peloncillo (NM)	Coronado National Forest	43,339
Ryan Hill	Cibola National Forest	34,201
San Jose	Cibola National Forest	16,950
Sawyers Peak	Gila National Forest	59,743
South Guadalupe Mountains	Lincoln National Forest	20,930
West Face Sacramento Mountains	Lincoln National Forest	41,176

References (13)

Ballinger, R. E. 1973. Comparative demography of two viviparous iguanid lizards (Sceloporus jarrovi and Sceloporus poinsettii). Ecology 54:269-283.
Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999a. A field guide to Texas reptiles & amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xviii + 331 pp.
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.
Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
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
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.
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]
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.
Dixon, J. R. 2000. Amphibians and reptiles of Texas. Second edition. Texas A & M University Press, College Station. 421 pp.
Sites, J. W., Jr., J.W. Archie, C.J. Cole and O. Flores-Villela. 1992. A review of phylogenetic hypotheses for lizards of the genus Sceleporus (Phrynosomatidae): implications for ecological and evolutionary studies. Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. (213):1-110.
Stebbins, R. C. 1985a. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. xiv + 336 pp.
Stebbins, R. C. 2003. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Third edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston.
Webb, R. G. 2006. Variation in the Crevice Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus poinseffii Baird and Girard. Bulletin of the Maryland Herpetological Society 42(2):65-114.