Sceloporus jarrovii

Sceloporus jarrovii, also known commonly as Yarrow's spiny lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. There are two recognized subspecies.

Yarrow's spiny lizard
Adult male in Tucson, AZ
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Phrynosomatidae
Genus:	Sceloporus
Species:	S. jarrovii
Binomial name
Sceloporus jarrovii Cope, 1875[2]
Geographic range of Sceloporus jarrovii shown in red
Synonyms[2]
Sceloporus jarrovii Cope, 1875 Sceloporus yarrovii [sic] — Boulenger, 1885 Sceloporus ornatus — Boulenger, 1897 (fide H.M. Smith et al., 2000) Sceloporus lineolateralis H.M. Smith, 1936 Sceloporus jarrovii — H.M. Smith, 1938

Etymology

The specific name, jarrovii, is in honor of Henry Crécy Yarrow (November 19, 1840 – July 2, 1929), an American ornithologist, herpetologist, naturalist, and surgeon.^[2][3]

Geographic range

The nominate subspecies in Ramsey Canyon, Arizona

S. j. jarrovii is found in the United States in the states of Arizona and New Mexico, and it is found in Mexico in the states of Chihuahua, Durango, Sonora, northern Tamaulipas, and western Zacatecas. The subspecies S. j. lineolateralis is found only in Mexico in the states of Durango and Zacatecas.^[2]

Habitat

The preferred natural habitats of S. jarrovii are forest and rocky areas.^[1]

Description

S. jarrovii grows to a snout-to-vent length of 10.5 cm (4.1 in) with keeled scales and a crosshatch-patterned torso. Its coloration includes tints of pink, green, blue, and copper. The top of the head is dark gray. Males have a blue throat and a blue belly. A complete black collar with a white inferior border distinguishes this lizard from similar species.^[4]

Reproduction

S. jarrovii is viviparous.^[2]

Subspecies

Two subspecies of S. jarrovii are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.^[2]

• Sceloporus jarrovii jarrovii Cope, 1875
• Sceloporus jarrovii lineolateralis H.M. Smith, 1936 – lined spiny lizard