You are here » home › search results › Xantusia wigginsi

Xantusia wigginsi SAVAGE, 1952

iNaturalist logo

Can you confirm these amateur observations of Xantusia wigginsi?

Add your own observation of
Xantusia wigginsi »

We have no photos, try to find some by Google images search: Google images

Higher TaxaXantusiidae (Xantusiinae), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards)
Subspecies 
Common NamesE: Wiggins' Desert Night Lizard
S: Nocturna de Wiggins 
SynonymXantusia vigilis wigginsi SAVAGE 1952
Xantusia vigilis wigginsi — SAVAGE 1963
Xantusia vigilis wigginsi — SMITH & HOLLAND 1971
Xantusia wigginsi — SINCLAIR et al. 2004
Xantusia wigginsi — LEAVITT et al. 2007
Xantusia wigginsi — NOONAN et al. 2013
Xantusia wigginsi — HANSEN & SHEDD 2025 
DistributionUSA (S California),
Mexico (Baja California)

Type locality: arroyo 9 miles east of Miller'sLanding, Distrito del Norte, Baja California, Mexico.  
Reproductionovoviviparous 
TypesHolotype: CAS-SUR 11564 
DiagnosisDiagnosis: A subspecies of X. vigilis intermediate between the typical form and X.v. gilberti. Differs from the other forms as follows: (1) ventrals usually less than 29, 25 (27.4) 29; (2) dorsal pattern of numerous small, discrete spots, never fused to form blotches or lines; (3) tail with dark spots restricted to tips of scales (from SAVAGE 1952).


Unfortunately we had to temporarily remove additional information as this was scraped by multiple AI companies who sell that data to their customers. These details, e.g. detailed descriptions or comparisons (about 354 characters) are available for collaborators and contributors. Please contact us for details. 
CommentHybridization: X. wigginsi intergrades with X. vigilis gilberti (SAVAGE 1952: 476).

Distribution: In Jones & LOVICH 2009:440 the distribution map for Xantusia wigginsi erroneously includes the ranges for X. sherbrookei and X. gilberti. See map in Bezy et al. 2019: 27 (Fig. 10). 
EtymologyNamed after one of the collectors of the type, Drs. Ira L. Wiggins, H. M. Hill, and A. M. Vollmer. 
References
  • Backlin, Adam R. and Robert N. Fisher. 2011. Geographic Distribution: Xantusia wigginsi (Wiggin's desert night lizard). Herpetological Review 42 (3): 392 - get paper here
  • Bezy, Robert L. 2025. Biogeography of the Peninsular Reptiles in California. SONORAN HERPETOLOGIST 38 (2): 71-80 - get paper here
  • Bezy, Robert L.; Kit B. Bezy, Kathryn Bolles, and Wade C. Sherbrooke 2019. Night lizards (Xantusia) and their discoverers on the Baja California Peninsula. Sonoran Herpetologist 32 (2): 25-33 - get paper here
  • Bostic, D. L. 1971. Herpetofauna of the Pacific Coast of north central Baja California, Mexico, with a description of a new subspecies of Phyllodactylus xanti. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History, 16: 237—263 - get paper here
  • Crother, B. I. (ed.) 2012. Standard Common and Current Scientific Names for North American Amphibians, Turtles, Reptiles, and Crocodilians, Seventh Edition. Herpetological Circular 39: 1-92
  • Goldberg, Stephen R. and Robert L. Bezy. 2014. Xantusia wigginsi (Wiggins' night lizard) reproduction. Herpetological Review 45 (3): 510-511 - get paper here
  • Hansen, Robert and Jackson D. Shedd 2025. California Amphibians and Reptiles. Princeton University Press, 528 pp., ISBN<br />9780691249087 (ebook) - get paper here
  • Jones, L.L. & Lovich, R.E. 2009. Lizards of the American Southwest. A photographic field guide. Rio Nuevo Publishers, Tucson, AZ, 568 pp. [review in Reptilia 86: 84] - get paper here
  • LEAVITT, DEAN H.; ROBERT L. BEZY, KEITH A. CRANDALL and JACK W. SITES JR 2007. Multi-locus DNA sequence data reveal a history of deep cryptic vicariance and habitat-driven convergence in the desert night lizard Xantusia vigilis species complex (Squamata: Xantusiidae). Molecular Ecology 16: 4455–4481 - get paper here
  • Noonan, Brice P.; Jennifer B. Pramuk, Robert L. Bezy, Elizabeth A. Sinclair, Kevin de Queiroz, Jack W. Sites Jr. 2013. Phylogenetic relationships within the lizard clade Xantusiidae: Using trees and divergence times to address evolutionary questions at multiple levels. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Volume 69, Issue 1, October 2013, Pages 109–122 - get paper here
  • Peralta-García A, Valdez-Villavicencio JH, Fucsko LA, Hollingsworth BD, Johnson JD, Mata-Silva V, Rocha A, DeSantis DL, Porras LW, and Wilson LD. 2023. The herpetofauna of the Baja California Peninsula and its adjacent islands, Mexico: composition, distribution, and conservation status. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation 17(1&2): 57–142
  • Pilliod, D., Jeffries, M., Arkle, R. and Olson, D. 2024. Climate Futures for Lizards and Snakes in Western North America May Result in New Species Management Issues. Ecol Evol, 14: e70379 - get paper here
  • Savage, J. M. 1963. 'Studies on the Lizard Family Xantusiidae IV. The Genera. Contributions in Science, Los Angeles County Museum (71): 1 - 38 - get paper here
  • Savage, Jay M. 1952. Studies on the lizard family Xantusidae I. The systematic status of the Baja California Night Lizards allied to Xantusia vigilis, with the description of a new subspecies. American Midland Naturalist 48 (2): 467-479 - get paper here
  • Sinclair, Elizabeth A.; Robert L. Bezy; Kathryn Bolles; Jose L. Camarillo R.; Keith A. Crandall and Jack W. Sites, Jr. 2004. Testing Species Boundaries in an Ancient Species Complex with Deep Phylogeographic History: Genus Xantusia (Squamata: Xantusiidae). American Naturalist 164 (3): 396-414 - get paper here
  • Smith, H. M.; Holland, R. L. 1971. Noteworthy snakes and lizards from Baja California. Journal of Herpetology 5 (1-2): 56-59 - get paper here
 
External links  
Is it interesting? Share with others:

As link to this species use URL address:

https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Xantusia&species=wigginsi

without field 'search_param'. Field 'search_param' is used for browsing search result.



Please submit feedback about this entry to the curator