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Sceloporus magister HALLOWELL, 1854

IUCN Red List - Sceloporus magister - Least Concern, LC
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Higher TaxaPhrynosomatidae, Sceloporinae; Iguania, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
SubspeciesSceloporus magister cephaloflavus TANNER 1955
Sceloporus magister magister HALLOWELL 1854
Sceloporus magister montserratensis VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN 1921
Sceloporus magister transversus PHELAN & BRATTSTROM 1955 
Common NamesE: Desert Spiny Lizard
E: Orange-headed Spiny Lizard [cephaloflavus]
E: Twin-spotted Spiny Lizard [bimaculosus]
S: Cachora [bimaculosus]
E: Purple-backed Spiny Lizard [magister]
E: Barred Spiny Lizard [transversus]
G: Wüsten-Stachelleguan
S: Lagartija del Desierto 
SynonymSceloporus magister HALLOWELL 1854: 93
Sceloporus spinosus magister — BOULENGER 1897: 492
Sceloporus magister magister — SMITH & TAYLOR 1950: 114
Sceloporus magister — STEBBINS 1985: 127
Sceloporus magister — LINER 1994
Sceloporus magister — SCHULTE et al. 2006
Sceloporus magister — WERNING 2012

Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus TANNER 1955
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus — STEBBINS 1985: 128
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus — CROTHER 2000
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus — BELL et al. 2003

Sceloporus magister montserratensis VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN 1921
Sceloporus montserratensis VAN DENBURGH & SLEVIN 1921: 396
Sceloporus magister montserratensis — ZWEIFEL 1958

Sceloporus magister transversus PHELAN & BRATTSTROM 1955
Sceloporus magister transversus — CROTHER 2000 
DistributionUSA (SE California, Nevada, S Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico),
Mexico (Baja California, Sonora, NW Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sinaloa)

cephaloflavus: USA (Utah). Type Locality: Bentley's Cabin, approximately 15 mi NW Hole-in-the-Rock, Kaiparowits Plateau, Kane County, Utah.

magister: USA (Arizona); Type locality: Fort Yuma, Arizona, restricted to Yuma, Yuma, Arizona, by Smith and Taylor (1950)].

montserratensis: Mexico (Baja California: Monserrate Island); Type locality: Monserrate Island, Gulf of California

transversus: USA (California); Type Locality: Keough's Hot Springs, 7 mi. S Bishop, Inyo County, California.  
Reproductionoviparous 
TypesHolotype: USNM 2967
Holotype: CAS 91199 [bimaculosus]
Holotype: CAS 91200 [transversus]
Holotype: BYU 11270, collected 16 July 1953 by D. E. Beck [cephaloflavus]
Holotype: CAS 50509 [montserratensis] 
Diagnosis 
CommentSimilar species: Historically, this species has been confused with S. clarkii (STEJNEGER 1893).

Subspecies: Sceloporus magister bimaculosus PHELAN & BRATTSTROM 1955 and S. m. uniformis have been elevated to full species. S. m. transversus is neither listed nor discussed by BOUNDY et al. 2012. Leaché and Mulcahy (2007) found that specimens from closer to the type locality of S. m. cephaloflavus were part of S. uniformis rather than S. magister; consequently, Crother et al. 2012 have not recognized subspecies within S. magister.

Distribution: not in Coahuila where it is represented by S. m. bimaculosus, now a valid species; see map in Jones & Lovich 2009: 226, Parker 1982. Not in Durango fide Lemos-Espinal (2018). 
EtymologyEtymology (magister): The Latin magister, "master," or "chief," refers to the large size of this species.

Etymology [cephaloflavus]: The Greek noun kephale, "head," and the Latin noun flavus, "yellow," together refer to the yellow or orange dorsal head scales.

Etymology (transversus): The Latin noun transversus, "crosswise," refers to the 6 or 7 conspicuous dark crossbars on the dorsum. 
References
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  • Bezy, R.L. 2003. Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister. Herpetofauna of the 100 Mile Circle. Sonoran Herpetologist 16 (9):78-79. - get paper here
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  • Grismer, L. L. & J. A. MCGUIRE 1996. Taxonomy and biogeography of the Sceloporus magister complex (Squamata: Phrynosomatidae) in Baja California, México. Herpetologica 52 (3): 416-427. - get paper here
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  • Leaché, A.D. 2010. Species trees for spiny lizards (Genus Sceloporus): Identifying points of concordance and conflict between nuclear and mitochondrial data. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 54: 162–171 - get paper here
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  • Leaché, A.D. & Mulcahy, D.G. 2007. Phylogeny, divergence times and species limits of spiny lizards (Sceloporus magister species group) in western North American deserts and Baja California. Molecular Ecology 16: 5216–5233 - get paper here
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  • Moll, E.O., and D. Koenig. 2003. Sceloporus magister at Tohono Chul Park: Diet, Cannibalism, and Predation. Sonoran Herpetologist 16 (10):90-91. - get paper here
  • Nevárez-de los Reyes; Manuel, David Lazcano, Javier Banda-Leal and Ian Recchio 2014. Notes on Mexican Herpetofauna 22: Herpetofauna of the Continental Portion of the Municipality of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Bull. Chicago Herp. Soc. 49(8):105-115 - get paper here
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  • Parker, W. S.;Pianka, E. R. 1973. Notes on the ecology of the Iguanid lizard, Sceloporus magister. Herpetologica 29 (2): 143-152 - get paper here
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