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Since I only have the one picture of U. o. symmetricus above, I am showing pictures below of the subspecies found east of U. o. symmetricus - U. o. schottii - Schott's Tree Lizard, which looks the same. The lizards shown here from Pima County, Arizona, are from an area close to where the two subspecies come in contact. Many researchers do not recognize any subspecies of this lizard or any important differences between these lizards.
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Adult male, Pima County, Arizona
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Adult, Pima County, Arizona |
Adult, Maricopa County, Arizona
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Adult, Pima County, Arizona |
Adult male, Santa Cruz County, Arizona |
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Adult, Maricopa County, Arizona |
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Adult female, Cochise County, Arizona
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Back scales - There is a wide band of large scales down the middle of the back, which is split in the center by smaller scales. Compare with Urosaurus graciosus. |
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Colorado River, Imperial County
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Desert oasis habitat, Corn Springs, Riverside County |
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| Description |
| Size |
| 1.5 - 2.25 inches long from snout to vent (3.8 - 5.7 cm). (Stebbins 2003) |
| Appearance |
A small slim climbing lizard with a long thin tail, usually seen on rocks and trees. The scales on the back are small and granular, with two bands of enlarged scales down the middle of the back with a band of smaller scales between them. (On the subspecies U. o symmetricus, the band of narrow scales on the mid back is wider than the width of one of the bands of enlarged scales, and the belly patches are separated.) There is a gular fold across the throat and a fold of skin on each side of the body.
Color is brown, tan, gray, rusty, or nearly black with dark blotches or irregular narrow crossbars on the upper surfaces. The coloring usually matches the surrounding environment, and changes from a dark to a light phase.
Males have a blue, green, orange, or yellow throat patch, blue or green patches on the sides of the belly which do not usually connect, and enlarged postanal pores. Females have a white belly and a white, orange or yellow throat. |
| Behavior & Natural History |
| Diurnal. Active spring through fall when it becomes inactive during late fall and winter cold. Tree lizards have been found overwintering in aggregations. Often seen basking on rocks in the morning with the head pointing downward. Despite the name, this lizard seems to prefer rocks as basking sites. Escapes by climbing out of reach up a rock or tree and running to the other side. Shelters in vegetation, under rocks, and in crevices in rock. |
| Diet |
| Eats small invertebrates including beetles, ants, flies, grasshoppers, and spiders. Typically sits on shrubs, trees, and rocks and waits for prey to approach. |
| Reproduction |
| Breeding occurs in spring, with 1 to 6 clutches of 2 - 16 eggs laid from March to August. |
| Range |
U. o. symmetricus is found in the far southeast part of California along the Colorado River, and as far west as Corn Springs, and east into western Arizona.
Beyond California, U. ornatus ranges north though extreme southern Nevada through Utah into extreme southwest Wyoming, western Colorado, and much of New Mexico and Texas, and south in to extreme northeast Baja California and into Sonora, Chihuahua, Sinaloa, Coahuila, and Tamaulipas Mexico.
From sea level to around 9,000 ft. (2,770 m). (Stebbins 2003) |
| Habitat |
| Found in desert habitats with or without trees, which include mesquite, tamarisk, oaks and cottonwoods. Often seen on buildings and fence posts. Especially attracted to the edges of rivers, streams and washes. |
| Taxonomic Notes |
| A number of subspecies of Urosaurus ornatus have been recognized, with 6 found in the U. S. A. Many researchers choose not to recognize any subspecies. |
| Conservation Issues (Conservation Status) |
| None. |
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Taxonomy |
| Family |
Phrynosomatidae |
Zebra-tailed, Earless, Fringe-toed, Spiny, Tree, Side-blotched, and Horned Lizards |
| Genus |
Urosaurus |
Tree & Brush Lizards |
| Species |
ornatus |
Ornate Tree Lizard |
Subspecies
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symmetricus |
Colorado River Tree Lizard |
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Original Description |
Urosaurus - Hallowell, 1854 - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 7, p. 92
Urosaurus ornatus - (Baird and Girard, 1852) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 6, p. 126 (part)
Urosaurus ornatus symmetricus - (Baird, 1858) - Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, Vol. 10, p. 253
from Original Description Citations for the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America © Ellin Beltz
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Meaning of the Scientific Name |
Urosaurus - Greek - oura - tail and saurus - lizard
ornatus - Latin - ornamented
symmetricus - Latin - balanced or equal - referring to the regular series of larger dorsal scales
from Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained © Ellin Beltz
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Alternate Names |
Urosaurus ornatus - Ornate Tree Lizard (with no subspecies recognized)
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Related or Similar California Lizards |
Urosaurus nigricaudus - Baja California Brush Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus - Long-tailed Brush Lizard
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More Information and References |
Natureserve Explorer
California Dept. of Fish and Game
Stebbins, Robert C. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3rd Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2003.
Behler, John L., & F. Wayne King. The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, 1992.
Smith, Hobart M. Handbook of Lizards, Lizards of the United States and of Canada. Cornell University Press, 1946.
St. John, Alan D. Reptiles of the Northwest: Alaska to California; Rockies to the Coast. Lone Pine Publishing, 2002.
Brennan, Thomas C., and Andrew T. Holycross. Amphibians and Reptiles in Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, 2006.
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The following status listings come from the Special Animals List which is published several times each year by the California Department of Fish and Game.
This animal is not included on the Special Animals List, which indicates that there are no significant conservation concerns for it in California.
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Organization
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Status Listing
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| U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) |
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| California Endangered Species Act (CESA) |
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| California Department of Fish and Game |
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| Bureau of Land Management |
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| USDA Forest Service |
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| Natureserve Global Conservation Status Ranks |
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World Conservation Union - IUCN Red List
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