SIERRA LOS CUCAPAS COLLARED LIZARD
Crotaphytus grismeri – McGuire 1994
IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
This newly described species is only found at a few localities in the Sierra los Cucapás and Sierra el Mayor of northeast Baja California Norte, Mexico. Elevational distribution from 50-250 meters.
HABITAT:
C. grismeri is most often observed on or around rocky slopes, canyons, ridges, and among rocky rubble at the base of hills. Its habitat is especially hot and dry.
NATURAL HISTORY:
This species is saxicolous and is most often observed perched on rocks and rock outcrops between the months of March and September. Male and female Crotaphytus grismeri display their breeding coloration in April and May and lay eggs from May to September. Smaller lizards are a large part of the diet of most Crotaphytus, and the this species is no exception. C. grismeri will bask during the heat of the day in temperatures that are too extreme for some other lizards. Sympatric species of lizard found in the habitat of C. grismeri are Dipsosaurus dorsalis, Uta stansburiana, and Aspidoscelis tigris. When frightened, collared lizards have the ability to run on their hind legs (bipedal motion) for short distances.
TAXONOMY:
This species is in the C. bicinctores species group and is cloesly related to C. bicinctores, C. vestigium and C. insularis.
TYPE:
Described as Crotaphytus grismeri by J. McGuire (1994). Holotype: CES 067-629. Type locality: East face of the Sierra de los Cucapás, approximately 50 km south of Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico.
PERSONAL NOTES:
I looked for this species once, with no success, south of Mexicali on the east slope of the Sierra el Mayor. We saw only Uta stansburiana and Dipsosaurus dorsalis.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
While this species has the smallest natural range of any member of the Genus, it is not in danger of local population decline because of the arid nature of its habitat, and the apparent lack of collecting interest.
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