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Sceloporus merriami STEJNEGER, 1904

IUCN Red List - Sceloporus merriami - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPhrynosomatidae, Sceloporinae, Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesSceloporus merriami annulatus SMITH 1937
Sceloporus merriami australis WILLIAMS, SMITH & CHRAPLIWY 1960
Sceloporus merriami ballingeri LEMOS-ESPINAL, SMITH, AUTH & CHISZAR 2001
Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus OLSON 1973
Sceloporus merriami merriami STEJNEGER 1904
Sceloporus merriami sanojae LEMOS-ESPINAL in SMITH, LEMOS-ESPINAL & CHISZAR 2003
Sceloporus merriami williamsi LEMOS-ESPINAL, CHISZAR & SMITH 2000 
Common NamesE: Canyon Lizard
S: Lagartija de Cañón
annulatus: Big Bend Canyon Lizard
australis: Southeastern Canyon Lizard
ballingeri: Ballinger’s Canyon Lizard
longipunctatus: Presidio Canyon Lizard
merriami: Merriam's Canyon Lizard
sanojae: Sanoja's Canyon Lizard
williamsi: Williams’ Canyon Lizard 
SynonymSceloporus merriami STEJNEGER 1904
Sceloporus merriami merriami — SMITH & TAYLOR 1950: 131
Lysoptychus merriami — LARSEN & TANNER 1975
Sceloporus merriami — CONANT & COLLINS 1991: 109
Sceloporus merriami — LINER 1994
Sceloporus merriami merriami — BELL et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami merriami — CROTHER et al. 2012
Sceloporus merriami — HEIMES 2022

Sceloporus merriami annulatus SMITH 1937: 83
Sceloporus merriami annulatus — SCHMIDT & OWENS 1944
Sceloporus merriami annulatus SMITH 1946
Sceloporus merriami annulatus — BARTLETT & BARTLETT 1999: 225
Sceloporus merriami annulatus — BELL et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami annulatus — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008
Sceloporus merriami annulatus — CROTHER et al. 2012

Sceloporus merriami australis WILLIAMS, SMITH & CHRAPLIWY 1960
Sceloporus merriami australis — BELL et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami australis — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008

Sceloporus merriami ballingeri LEMOS-ESPINAL, SMITH, AUTH & CHISZAR 2001
Sceloporus merriami ballingeri — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008

Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus OLSON 1973
Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus — BARTLETT & BARTLETT 1999: 227
Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus — BELL et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus — CROTHER et al. 2012

Sceloporus merriami sanojae LEMOS-ESPINAL in SMITH et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami sanojae — BELL et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami sanojae — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008

Sceloporus merriami williamsi LEMOS-ESPINAL, CHISZAR & SMITH 2000
Sceloporus merriarni willaimsi [sic] LEMOS-ESPINAL, CHISZAR & SMITH 2000: 93
Sceloporus merriami williamsi — BELL et al. 2003
Sceloporus merriami williamsi — LINER & CASAS-ANDREU 2008 
DistributionUSA (SW Texas), Mexico (Nuevo Léon, Coahuila, Chihuahua)

merriami: Rio Grande and its immediate tributaries from western Brewster County to SE Val Verde County, Texas; Mexico (Chihuahua [HR 32: 276]). Type locality: East Painted Cave, near mouth of the Pecos River, Texas.

annulatus: S/C Brewster County, Texas. Mexico (E Coahuila). Type locality: East slope of the Chisos Mountains, Brewster County, Texas.

australis: Mexico (Coahuila). Type Locality: 15.6 mi (25.1 km) E Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico.

ballingeri: Mexico (Durango). Type Locality: La Campana, Sierra La Campana, municipio Tlahualilo, Durango (26°7'39.1"N, 103°41'00.0"W).

longipunctatus: USA (W Texas); Type Locality: Closed Canyon, 14.3 rd mi (23.0 km.) SE Redford, Presidio County, Texas.

merriami: W Texas, Mexico (Coahuila)

sanojae: Mexico (Chihuahua). Type Locality: Rancho Peñoles (27°7'49.6"N, 103°48'45.0"W), 1194m, Chihuahua, Mexico.

williamsi: Mexico (Chihuahua). Type Locality: El Fortín, 51 air km W Rio Grande at 29°35’40”N.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: USNM 33039
Holotype: INHS (= UIMNH) 25058, EHT-HMS A787 [annulatus]
Holotype: INHS (= UIMNH) 43319, collected 9 July 1958; paratype: BYU [australis]
Holotype: UBIPRO 5094, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal collector, 9 June 2000 [ballengeri]
Holotype: USNM 192744, formerly REO 3286, collected 31 May 1971, by R. Earl Olson [longipunctatus]
Holotype: UBIPRO 7456, collected 24 July 2001 by Julio A. Lemos-Espinal [sanojae].
Holotype: INHS (= UIMNH) 52378, taken by K. L. Williams, E. O. Moll, F. Vuilleumier, and J. E. Williams, 31 August 1962 [williamsi]
Holotype: UBIPRO 5094, an adult male, 9 June 2000, Julio A. Lemos-Espinal [ballingeri] 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: Smith 1939: 285 
Comment 
EtymologyNamed in honor of C. Hart Merriam, the originator of the life-zone theory of biotic ditribution, and chief of the Bureau of Biological Survey, predecessor of the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Etymology: S. m. annulatus is named after the Latin noun annulus refers to the banded subcaudal surface, such banding being one of the key characteristics separating this subspecies from Sceloporus merriami merriami.

Etymology: S. m. australis has been named after the Latin adjective australis, "southern," referring to the range of this southernmost subspecies of S. merriami.

Etymology: S. m. ballingeri honors Dr. Royce E. Ballinger, of the University of Nebraska, for his many contributions to herpetology and for guidance of Julio A. Lemos-Espinal to his doctoral degree.

Etymology (longipunctatus): The Latin adjective long, "long," the noun punctum, "spot," and the suffix -atus, "pertaining to", refer to laterally elongate paravertebral spots, diagnostic of the subspecies.

Etymology (sanojae): The subspecific matronym honors Susy Sanoja Sarabia, in honor of and gratitude for her long-term support of Julio A. Lemos-Espinal in the field, laboratory and at home.

Etymology (williamsi): The patronym honors Kenneth L. Williams (1934-2017), a specialist in the classification of snakes and the herpetology of Mexico and Honduras. In the original description, two spellings of the name appeared: willaimsi and williamsi. BELL et al. (2003) designated the latter as correct. 
References
  • Axtell, Ralph W. 1959. AMPHIBIANS AND REPTILES OF THE BLACK GAP WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA, BREWSTER COUNTY, TEXAS. Southwestern Naturalist 4 (2): 88-109
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