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Desert Side-blotched Lizard
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- Order: Squamata (scaled reptiles)
- Suborder: Lacertilia (=Sauria) (lizards)
- Family: Iguanidae (iguanid lizards)
- Subfamily: Phrynosomatinae (spiny and horned
lizards)
- Genus: Uta (side-blotched lizards)
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Also Known As Uta
(pronounced "oota") |
Scientific Name: Uta stansburiana
stejnegeri Schmidt, 1921 |
Habitat: Deserts and
scrubland. |
Uta=state of Utah, stansburiana in
honor of expeditionary surveyor Howard S. Stansbury who collected
the first specimen, stejnegeri in honor of biologist
Leonhard Stejneger.
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Length: Up to 6.5 inches. |
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Food: Insects and
arachnids. |
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These lizards are near the bottom of the food
chain in most places they inhabit. They're often the most
commonly-seen lizard wherever they are found. They consume a
variety of different insects, and in turn are eaten by birds,
snakes, and other lizards. This image is a still from my
video camera. It is from Big Bend National Park in 1996. |
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Compare this specimen to the side-blotched
lizard I found in Nevada, the one I found in New
Mexico, and the ones I found in
California. |
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