Urosaurus graciosus
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| Urosaurus graciosus Hallowell, 1854 |
The long-tailed brush lizard, Urosaurus graciosus, occurs in the Mojave and northern Colorado Deserts in the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Sonora, and Baja California. This species received its common name due to its tail, which is more than twice the body length, and since it is almost always encountered on a tree or shrub. Its gray or tan coloration keep it well camouflaged against branches while it waits for insects. Unlike most other Phrynosomatid lizards which bury in the sand at night, during warm weather, U. graciosus spends the night on the tips of branches.
Urosaurus graciosus is distinguishable from the Tree Lizard, Urosaurus ornatus, by the presence of a tail more than two times its snout-vent length and the presence of a series of smaller scales running down the middle of the band of enlarged dorsal scales. It is distinguisable from all other all other brush lizards (Urosaurus) by geography and choice of microhabitat.
[edit] Links
- californiaherps.com Urosaurus graciosus page
- calphotos.berkeley.edu Urosaurus graciosus page
- wildherps.com Urosaurus graciosus page
- Arizona PARC Urosaurus graciosus page
[edit] References
- Stebbins, Robert C.(2003). Western Reptiles and Amphibians (3rd ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. ISBN 0-395-98272-3.
