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Gambelia is a genus of lizards, commonly known as leopard lizards, within the family Crotaphytidae. Leopard lizards are indigenous to arid environments of southwestern North America.
| Gambelia | |
|---|---|
| |
| Gambelia wislizenii, long-nosed leopard lizard | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Crotaphytidae |
| Genus: | Gambelia Baird, 1859[1] |
Description
editSpecies in the genus Gambelia superficially resemble those of the genus Crotaphytus. However, one difference between the genera Gambelia and Crotaphytus is that leopard lizards have fracture planes in their tails, allowing the tails to break off when grasped by predators.[citation needed]
Etymology
editThe generic name, Gambelia, is in honor of American naturalist William Gambel.[2]
Species
editThree species are recognized as being valid.[3]
| Image | Scientific name | Common Name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Gambelia copeii (Yarrow, 1882) | Cope's leopard lizard | Baja California peninsula and adjacent southern California. |
 |
Gambelia sila (Stejneger, 1890) | blunt-nosed leopard lizard | southern California. |
 |
Gambelia wislizenii (Baird & Girard, 1852) | long-nosed leopard lizard | United States from Oregon to Idaho in the north and from California to Texas in the south, south to northern Mexico in Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Zacatecas. |
Nota bene: A binomial authority in parentheses indicates that the species was originally described in a genus other than Gambelia.
References
edit- ^ "Gambelia ". ITIS (Integrated Taxonomic Information System). www.itis.gov.
- ^ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Genus Gambelia, p. 97).
- ^ Genus Gambelia at The Reptile Database www.reptile-database.org.
Further reading
edit
- Baird SF (1859). United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, Under the Order of Lieu. Col. W.H. Emory, Major First Cavalry, and United States Commissioner. [Volume 2, Part 2]. Reptiles of the Boundary, with Notes by the Naturalists of the Survey. Washington, District of Columbia: Department of the Interior. 35 pp. + Plates I-XLI. (Gambelia, new genus, p. 7).
- Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3. (Genus Gambelia, p. 108).
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