ANIMAL: Baja Blue Rock Lizard Petrosaurus thalassinus Type of Animal: Iguanid Habitat: Boulder-laden/strewn hillsides, rocky canyons, rocky bottoms, cliffsides, rocky crevices, arroyo bottoms, seaside cliffs, rocks near large trees, desert Location(s): Sierra La Laguna & Sierra La Trinidad areas of Baja California Sur as well as Isla Espiritu Santo & Isla Partida in Gulf of California Appearance: Flattened body w/ small smooth granular scales, slightly keeled tail scales, bluish head w/ red to orange colors around eyes, yellow neck w/ blue spots/streaks, gray blue tail w/ darker cross bars, coloration intensifies in breeding season, males have thicker tail bases/larger heads Food/Diet: Insects, insect larvae, small lizards (including smaller members of own species), blossoms, leaves, seeds, small fruit, greens, vegetables Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding in zoos, herpetoculture, & wildlife centers Lifestyle: Solitary or trios of a male & 2 females Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Hatchling Group: Colony/Leap Weight: Male: 4.76 oz Female: 3.7 oz Young: 0.04 oz Gestation: 3 months Life Span: 20 years Body Length: Male: 1.5 ft Female: 1 ft Young: 4.33 in Tail Length: 4 in, same for both sexes Active during the day (diurnal). Love basking in very hot temps. Flattened body allows them to quickly retreat into rock crevices to escape from predators as well as bad weather. Usually breed in late spring. Females lay 4-30 eggs w/ hatchlings most often appearing in late summer/early fall. Sexually mature at 1.5 years old. Like many lizards, they store fat in their tails. Often hibernate in cooler weather. Fun Fact(s): These lizards are very shy/wary & prefer not being handled. Sometimes, they’ll extend skin flap along throat. Other times, they’ll make throat-popping sound & even bite. Like many lizards, they can drop tails if caught. They’re great climbers, being able to climb perpendicularly, vertically, horizontally, & upside down.
