Spiny lizard

spiny lizard
Western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Lacertilia
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Sceloporus
Wiegmann, 1828
Species

many, see text

The spiny lizards are the genus Sceloporus in the family Phrynosomatidae. This genus includes some of the most commonly seen lizards in the United States.

Contents

Taxonomy

There are over 90 species in this genus currently organized in to 21 species groups. Their relationships to each other are currently under review.

Classification of the genus Sceloporus

The following cladogram is based on Leache and Reeder 2002 and shows the relationship of a handful of genera of Sceloporus:[1]



undulatus species group


S. cowlesi



S. cautus






S. tristichus




S. consobrinus



S. woodi





S. undulatus





S. virgatus




S. occidentalis



Listed below are species of Sceloporus:

[2][3]

References

  1. ^ Leache, A.D., Reeder, T.W. (2002). "Molecular systematics of the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus): A comparison of parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian approaches". Syst. Biol. 51 (1): 44–68. 
  2. ^ The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
  3. ^ ITIS. www.itis.gov.

External Links

See also