ANIMAL: Blue Spiny Lizard Sceloporus serrifer Type of Animal: Iguanid Habitat: Boulders, boulder fields, rocky escarpments, deserted buildings, bridge abutments, underground rocky crevices, rock piles, cliffs, bridges, dry creekbeds, rodent nests/burrows, rocky terrain in arid/semiarid environments, rocky hillsides, desert, shrubland Location(s): S Texas, Mexico, Guatemala, Belize Appearance: Stocky grayish-brown lizard w/ white spots on head/back, distinctive white-bordered black collar around neck, males have blue-green sheen to backs & blue chin/throat/belly, banded tail, females have gray throats & lack blue-green coloration instead having grayish to brownish color, both sexes have rough strongly keeled scales, males more colorful in breeding season Food/Diet: Beetle larvae, moth larvae, crickets, caterpillars, small roaches, flying insects Status in Wild: Stable Conservation: Breeding from zoos & private breeders Lifestyle: Harems of a male w/ 2-7 females or bachelor groups of nonbreeding males, sometimes w/ older dominant male. Some males solitary. Additional Info: Called: Male Female Young: Neonate Group: Leap/Colony Weight: 3.175-7.05 oz Gestation: 4 months Life Span: 3-4 years in wild, 7 years in captivity Body Length: Adult: 5-14 in Young: 3 in Tail Length: 8 in These lizards ovoviviparous, w/ eggs hatching inside body, resulting in live young. Females give birth to 6-18 young from February-June. Sexually mature at a year old. These lizards are very alert & agile. Rough scales help protect them from potential predators. Especially effective for wedging itself into crevice. In territorial disputes, males head-bob. If that doesn’t work, he’ll turn broadside, flattening body & displaying flowing blue belly. Active during the day (diurnal). Often bask in morning sun. When not foraging, they spend lots of time sheltering avoiding temp extremes & predators. Fun Fact(s): These lizards can be very skittish. Often catch flying insects in mid-air by leaping from rocks. If grabbed by tail, they can shed at least part of if not all of tail. Tail eventually regenerates.
