Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Texas Spiny Lizard


Texas Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus olivaceus

This Lizard was found scurrying from a patch of prickly pear cactus to underneath a fallen tree trunk in a relatively untouched hill country habitat in Kerrville, TX in early February of this year (2013). My brave professor blindly stuck his hand underneath this tree trunk to carefully pull this species out to show it to our class. This "rusty" lizard was a characterized as a male for it had the distinguishing narrow light blue areas on the sides of its belly. This species can grow to 7.5-11 in (19-27.9 cm) in length. After classifying this animal from the Peterson Field Guide of Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern/Central North America by Roger Conant and Joseph T. Collins, we let him go underneath the tree trunk my professor originally pulled him from.

No comments: