| Higher Taxa | Xantusiidae (Xantusiinae), Scincoidea, Sauria, Squamata (lizards) |
| Subspecies | |
| Common Names | E: Wiggins' Desert Night Lizard
S: Nocturna de Wiggins |
| Synonym | Xantusia 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 |
| Distribution | USA (S California),
Mexico (Baja California)
Type locality: arroyo 9 miles east of Miller'sLanding, Distrito del Norte, Baja California, Mexico.
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| Reproduction | ovovivparous |
| Types | Holotype: CAS-SUR 11564 |
| Diagnosis | Diagnosis: 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).
DEFINITION. Dorsal scales 31-38 (34.3); 4th toe lamellae 16-20 (17.9); femoral pores 4-9 (6); ventrals 25-29 (27.4); 7th supralabial usually not as high as 6th. Tail spots generally restricted to tips of scales; dorsal spots (when present) numerous
and small, often occupying only one scale; dorsolateral light stripes often present on body. (Bezy 1982) |
| Comment | Hybridization: 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). |
| Etymology | Named 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.; 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
- 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
- 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
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