| Kingdom | Phylum | Class | Order | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANIMALIA | CHORDATA | REPTILIA | SQUAMATA | TEIIDAE |
| Scientific Name: | Aspidoscelis sonorae | |||
| Species Authority: | (Lowe & Wright, 1964) | |||
Common Name/s:
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| Synonym/s: |
Cnemidophorus sonorae Lowe & Wright, 1964
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| Taxonomic Notes: | Reeder et al. (2002) examined phylogenetic relationships of the whiptail lizards of the genus Cnemidophorus based on a combined analysis of mitochondrial DNA, morphology, and allozymes. They determined that Cnemidophorus in the traditional sense is paraphyletic and thus in need of nomenclatural revision. Rather than subsume all cnemidophorine species (including Kentropyx) in a single large genus (Ameiva), they proposed a split that placed the North American "Cnemidophorus" clade in the monophyletic genus Aspidoscelis; under this arrangement, South American taxa remain in the genus Cnemidophorus. This species hybridizes (rarely) with A. tigris in southern Arizona (Stebbins 1985). It appears to comprise a complex of groups with different origins through hybridization (Frost and Wright 1988). | |||
| Red List Category & Criteria: | Least Concern ver 3.1 |
| Year Published: | 2007 |
| Assessor/s: | Hammerson, G.A., Frost, D.R. & Gadsden, H. |
| Reviewer/s: | Cox, N., Chanson, J.S. & Stuart, S.N. (Global Reptile Assessment Coordinating Team) |
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Justification: Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category. |
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| Range Description: | This species occurs in a relatively limited area in southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its range extends from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico south into northeastern Sonora, Mexico, at elevations of about 210 to ,130 m (Stebbins 2003). It might occur in extreme northwestern Chuhuahua. |
| Countries: |
Native:
Mexico; United States
|
| Range Map: | Click here to open the map viewer and explore range. |
| Population: | It is a very common species. Degenhardt et al. (1996) mapped 16 collection sites in New Mexico. A larger number of localities exist in Arizona and Sonora. The total adult population size is unknown but certainly exceeds 10,000. Its extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size are probably relatively stable. |
| Population Trend: |
Stable
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| Habitat and Ecology: | This lizard occurs primarily in upland habitats of oak-woodland and oak-grassland; also riparian woodland, desert-scrub of paloverde and saguaro, and thornscrub (Stebbins 2003). Eggs are laid probably in a nest dug in soil/underground. |
| Systems: | Terrestrial |
| Major Threat(s): | No major threats have been identified. |
| Conservation Actions: | It presumably occurs in some protected areas. Other than general research activities, no direct conservation measures are needed for this species as a whole. |
| Citation: | Hammerson, G.A., Frost, D.R. & Gadsden, H. 2007. Aspidoscelis sonorae. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 25 May 2012. |
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