| Lizard, blunt-nosed leopard | |||
| Genus | Gambelia (=Crotaphytus) | ||
| Species | silus | ||
| Status | Endangered | ||
| Habitat | This leopard lizard likes open areas with scattered low bushes, usually on sparsely vegetated plains, alkali flats, low foothills, canyon floors, large washes, or arroyos. | ||
| Distribution | USA (California) | ||
| Appearance | This lizard is quite robust, with a long, slender, cylindrical tail. It has a large head with a short, blunt snout. Adults measure 89 to 127 mm in length. Its color is gray or brown, with broad, distinct whitish bands intermixed with dusky spots. The leopard lizard's throat has dark gray blotches. The undersides of its tail and thighs are white to yellowish, and during breeding season the males are a salmon or rust color. The breeding color of females consists of a single or double row of red-orange spots on the flanks and sides of the face, as well as on the undersurface of the tail and thighs | ||
| Behavior |
This lizard uses abandoned burrows or dens for shelter or escape cover. In areas where used burrows are scarce, they will dig shallow, simple chambered tunnels under exposed rocks or earthen banks. Immature blunt-nosed leopard liards use rock piles, trash piles, and brush for temporary cover.
Males will establish and defend home burrows, but also have overlapping home ranges. The degree of territoriality depends on the abundance of food and cover. | ||
| Diet | Large insects (beetles, flies, spiders, grasshoppers, cicadas, crickets), small lizards, small amounts of vegetable matter | ||
| Feeding | This animal is an active predator, whose diet will change depending on the season and availability of prey. They will also eat juveniles of their own species! The lizards have been known to jump into the air of into shrubbery in pursuit of insects. They use stalking and pursuit in hunting their prey. Some will dig up lizards that have taken refuge in holes or loose sand. | ||
| Breeding | Males often mate with several females, in late April to early June. Females lay eggs in June and July, in burrows that are roughly 50 cm deep. They do this by enlarging a chamber, sealing the entrance, and laying the eggs one at a time. These are then lightly covered with sand or soil. The exit tunnel is then plugged up afterwards. Some females have two clutches a year. The young hatch around July 30 through September. | ||
| Sexual Maturity | 9-18 months | ||
| Gestation | About 57 days | ||
| No. of Young | 2-5 eggs | ||
| Conservation |
The blunt-nosed leopard lizard is experiencing a decline because of agricultural development and urbanization. The few areas where it still resides are undergoing rapid development. Off-road vehicle recreation is also damaging to its environment, as well as overgrazing and agricultural pest control.
The establishment of a national grassland preserve in the southwestern part of the San Joaquin Valley has been suggested, and is probably the most rapid means of assuring this species partial protection. A protective management program for the remnants of its habitat has also been suggested. A Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard Recovery Team has been formed to aid its comeback. | ||
| Animal Communication Panel | |||
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