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Electronic Field Guide to the
Reptiles and Amphibians of
Southern California
Available Now at the
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| Adult males, San Diego County. © Stuart Young |
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Adult, San Diego County © Rob Schell |
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Habitat |
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Habitat, San Diego County
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Habitat, San Diego County |
Habitat, San Diego County |
| Description |
Size |
| Up to 5 inches (126 mm) SVL. |
| Appearance |
A large lizard with a big triangular head, wider than the neck, which contains folds on the sides. The nose is elongated slightly.
Color is dark gray to light or dark brown, overlaid with large paired dark spots separated by cream colored bars. The dark spots connect on the tail to become dark crossbands separated by cream bars. The ground color lightens considerably as the lizard's body temperature increases. Females develop red or orange coloring when gravid. |
| Behavior |
| Diurnal, emerging in the morning to bask. Sometimes found basking on rocks and road berms. Instead of running away, sometimes flattens the body to rely on cryptic coloring to hide from a predator. |
| Diet |
| Eats lizards and arthropods, which are caught by ambush, or sitting and waiting for the prey to pass by closely. |
| Reproduction |
| Breeds from April to July. Eggs are probably laid in the Summer. |
| Range |
| Gambelia copei is a Baja California species, ranging throughout most of Baja California, and coming into California ony in the extreme southwest part of the state around Cameron Corners, Campo, and the Potrero Grade. |
| Habitat |
| In California, inhabits coastal sage scrub, chaparral, and oak woodland. Prefers flat areas with open space for running, avoiding densely vegetated areas. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| Formerly considered a subspecies of Gambelia wislizenii. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| None. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Crotaphytidae |
Collared and Leopard Lizards |
| Genus |
Gambelia |
Leopard Lizards |
Species
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copei |
Cope's Leopard Lizard |
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Original Description |
Gambelia wislizenii copeii - (Yarrow, 1882) - Proc. U.S. Natl. Mus., Vol. 5, p. 441
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Gambelia - honors Gambel, William
copei - honors Cope, Edward Drinker
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
None
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Related or Similar California Lizards |
Long-nosed Leopard Lizard - Gambelia wislizenii
Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard - Gambelia sila
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
San Diego Natural History Museum
Stebbins, Robert C., and McGinnis, Samuel M. Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of California: Revised Edition (California Natural History Guides) University of California Press, 2012.
Stebbins, Robert C. California Amphibians and Reptiles. The University of California Press, 1972.
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., and F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Powell, Robert., Joseph T. Collins, and Errol D. Hooper Jr. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. The University Press of Kansas, 1998.
Bartlett, R. D. & Patricia P. Bartlett. Guide and Reference to the Turtles and Lizards of Western North America (North of Mexico) and Hawaii. University Press of Florida, 2009.
Jones, Lawrence, Rob Lovich, editors. Lizards of the American Southwest: A Photographic Field Guide. Rio Nuevo Publishers, 2009.
Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Lizards, Lizards of the United States and of Canada. Cornell University Press, 1946.
Grismer, L. Lee. Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California, Including Its Pacific Islands and the Islands in the Sea of Cortés. The University of California Press, 2002.
McPeak, Ron H. Amphibians and Reptiles of Baja California. Sea Challengers, 2000.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
There are no significant conservation concerns for this animal in California.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
None |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
None |
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| California Department of Fish and Wildlife |
None |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
None |
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| USDA Forest Service |
None |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
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World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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