ISLA ANGEL DE LA GUARDA ROCK LIZARD
Petrosaurus slevini – Van Denburgh 1922
IDENTIFICATION:
DISTRIBUTION:
P. slevini is endemic to Isla Angel de la Guarda and Isla Mejia in the central Gulf of California. It is found from sea level to the highest peaks of the islands.
HABITAT:
This species is found in boulder-filled arroyos, hillsides and bajadas and rocky canyons on the islands it inhabits.
Rocky arroyo, Isla Angel de la Guarda, Baja California, Mexico
Rocky canyon habitat, Isla Angel de la Guarda, Baja California, Mexico
NATURAL HISTORY:
Like P. mearnsi of the peninsula, P. slevini is active from March-October. It is diurnal and almost always seen basking or foraging on boulders or rocky cliffs. At night these lizards can be found sleeping upside-down on the undersides of boulders, or within cracks on rock faces. They are insectivorous and reproduce in the spring; hatchlings appear in the late summer/early fall.
TAXONOMY:
This island endemic is closely related to P. mearnsi found on the adjacent Peninsula.
TYPE:
Described as Uta slevini by J. Van Denburgh (1922). Holotype: CAS 50506. Type locality: Mejia Island, Gulf of California [Baja California], Mexico.
PERSONAL NOTES:
I visited Isla Angel de la Guarda in June, 2002 but was unable to find this species during our 6 hour stay.
CONSERVATION STATUS:
This species is abundant and in no need of special protection.
REFERENCES:
Van Denburgh, J. 1922. The reptiles of western North America. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences , Vol. 1-2:1-1028.