including those species here being considered, have revealed relatively
constant differences in the parasternalia and in the caudal vertebrae.
The application of Etheridge's findings to anoline systematics must
await the completion of his study.
The carination of the scales on the snout _versus_ smooth scales there
seems to be the only significant character given by Bocourt that
distinguishes _A. Nebuloides_ from _A. nebulosus_. The difference in the
color of the throat fan, which is apparent only in living individuals,
is more striking. Obviously more than one species is represented, as is
borne out by the differences in the color of the throat fan and in the
osteology, but there is uncertainty about the correct name for each
species. On the strength of Bocourt's diagnosis of keeled snout scales
in _A. nebuloides_, I am applying that name to the population in Oaxaca
and _A. nebulosus_ to the specimens from Michoacan. As arranged here,
the two species can be distinguished, as follows:
_A. nebulosus._--Dorsal scales only slightly smaller than
the ventral scales; snout scales usually smooth; throat-fan
bright orange in adult males.
_A. nebuloides._--Dorsal scales somewhat larger than the
ventral scales; snout scales having a low keel; throat-fan
pink in adult males.
With respect to geographic distribution, _A. nebulosus_ has been
collected from southern Sinaloa southward to Michoacan. The lizards here
referred to _A. nebuloides_ have been taken only in pine-oak forest on
the mountain slopes near Oaxaca City. Zweifel and Norris (1955:233)
reported anoles with pink throat-fans from southern Sonora; possibly
those specimens are _A. nebuloides_; I have not examined them. I have
seen several preserved specimens from the vicinity of Tehuantepec,
Oaxaca. Although they probably belong to this group, those specimens
differ from both _A. nebulosus_ and _A. nebuloides_ in their larger
size, relatively larger head, and much larger throat fan.
Aside from the minor variation in scutellation, specimens of _Anolis
nebulosus_ from Michoacan vary greatly in coloration. Usually the
females have some form of a broad middorsal pale-colored band. In life
this is dull yellow, tan, or orange. Two females from Dos Aguas are
strikingly different; one (UMMZ 119521) has a broad middorsal orange
stripe that is scalloped laterally and bordered by gray. The other (UMMZ
119081) has a narrow middorsal cream-colored line. Males usually are
unicolor brown or olive-tan; sometimes the middorsal region is darker.
Some individuals have dark cross-bands or chevrons on the dorsum. One
male from Dos Aguas (UMMZ 119080) has a cream-colored lateral stripe.
In Michoacan _Anolis nebulosus_ occurs from sea level to elevations
slightly in excess of 2100 meters, usually in areas of dense cover,
whether this be herbaceous, viney, or woody, ordinarily on the ground as
well as in bushes and trees. One was in a bromeliad growing about ten
meters above the ground. In the arid Tepalcatepec Valley anoles of this
species are most frequently found in the tangled growth along streams.
Above Uruapan they were found in pine-oak forest, and on the Mexican
Plateau between Zamora and Zacapu they were found in a bunch grass-scrub
oak association.
~Anolis schmidti~ Smith
_Anolis schmidti_ Smith, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., zool.
ser., 24:21, January 30, 1939.--Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico.
La Placita; San Juan de Lima.
Peters (1954:11) reported on the specimen from La Placita; another was
secured at San Juan de Lima in 1956. The latter (UMMZ 115078) is a male
having a snout-vent length of 43.0 mm. and a tail length of 70.5 mm. The
dorsal ground color is pale tan; there are five pairs of irregular dark
brown dorsolateral blotches. In life the throat fan was pale orange.
These specimens agree with those from Colima described by Duellman
(1958c:10). The distribution of _Anolis schmidti_ seems to be restricted
to the coastal lowlands from Michoacan to Nayarit.
~Basiliscus vittatus~ Wiegmann
_Basiliscus vittatus_ Wiegmann, Isis von Oken, 21:373,
1828.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Veracruz,
Veracruz, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:72).
Apatzingan (9); Capirio; Coahuayana (5); El Cerrito; El
Sabino (2); El Ticuiz; La Placita (3); Maruata (2); Motin
del Oro; Ostula; Playa Azul (3).
This species has been found only on the coast and in the low
Tepalcatepec Valley. In the latter area it is restricted to riparian
situations along the larger streams. The lizard is abundant in the
mangrove swamps bordering the brackish lagoons on the coast. In July,
1955, scores of individuals were seen around Estero Pichi at Playa Azul.
Adults, especially the large males, are exceedingly wary and difficult
to collect. At all localities where they were found, the lizards were
most often seen in dense bushes, where they are well camouflaged.
Individuals of all sizes were observed to run across the surface of the
ponds.
~Iguana iguana rhinolopha~ Wiegmann
_Iguana rhinolopha_ Wiegmann, Herpetologia Mexicana, p. 44,
1834.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Cordoba,
Veracruz, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:72).
_Iguana iguana rhinolopha_, Van Denburgh, Proc. Acad. Nat.
Sci. Philadelphia, 1897:461, January 18, 1898.
Apatzingan (8); Capirio (3); El Cerrito; El Ticuiz (2); La
Placita; La Playa (2); Maruata; Playa Azul; Rio Cachan.
Like the preceding species, this lizard is always found near water. It
does not ascend the foothills of the Sierra de Coalcoman, but in the
Balsas Basin it reaches elevations of 800 meters at La Playa. Large
adults are often seen in the large trees making up the gallery forests
along rivers. From high perches the lizards drop into the water with a
terrific splash. Bright green juveniles were abundant in bushes along
the Rio Tepalcatepec in July, 1955.
~Ctenosaura pectinata~ (Wiegmann)
_Cyclura pectinata_ Wiegmann, Herpetologia Mexicana, p. 42,
1834.--Mexico (by inference). Type locality restricted to
Colima, Colima, Mexico, by Bailey (1928:25).
_Ctenosaura pectinata_, Gray, Catalogue of the lizards...
British Museum, p. 191, 1845.
Apatzingan (27); between Ario de Rosales and La Playa;
Barranca de Bejuco; Capirio (2); Coalcoman (4); El Espinal;
El Sabino (2); El Ticuiz; Jazmin (2); La Huacana; La Placita
(8); La Playa (3); Limoncito; Lombardia; Motin del Oro;
Playa Azul; Rio Cancita, 12 km. E of Apatzingan (2); Rio
Marquez, 10 km. S of Lombardia (2);? Uruapan; Volcan
Jorullo.
_Ctenosaura pectinata_ is a common lowland species that ascends the
slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman and the Cordillera Volcanica to
elevations of about 1050 meters (approximating the lower limits of the
oak forest). The record from Uruapan (USNM 10234, collected by Duges) is
doubtful.
These large lizards are most easily observed on rock fences along roads.
Near Apatzingan innumerable individuals can be seen in mid-morning.
Later in the day, as the sun rises higher in the sky, the lizards
retreat to the shade of the crevices in the fences. The abundance of
these lizards in the Tepalcatepec Valley, together with evidence
gathered from the natives of the valley, indicates that these lizards
are seldom used for human consumption there. On the other hand, several
people in Coalcoman consider the "iguana negra" (local name for
_Ctenosaura_) to be a delicacy and serve it at every opportunity. In
early July, 1951, brilliant green young of the year were collected at La
Playa and at Coalcoman.
~Enyaliosaurus clarki~ (Bailey)
_Ctenosaura clarki_ Bailey, Proc. U. S. Natl. Mus., 73:44,
September 26, 1928.--Ovopeo (= Oropeo), Michoacan, Mexico.
_Enyaliosaurus clarki_, Duellman and Duellman, Occ. Pap.
Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 598:1, February 16, 1959.
Twelve km. SSW of Apatzingan; Capirio (7); Cofradia (3); El
Espinal (2); 32 km. E of Huetamo; Jazmin (5); Oropeo (10);
Rancho Nuevo; Rio Cancita, 12 km. E of Apatzingan (8);
Tepalcatepec (3); Zicuiran (6).
This species is known only from the low areas of the Balsas-Tepalcatepec
Basin between elevations of 200 and 510 meters. It is commonly found in
the open arid tropical scrub forest dominated by _Prosopsis_ sp.,
_Apoplanesia paniculata_, and _Cercidium plurifoliolatum_. Continued
collecting in the Tepalcatepec Valley has borne out the suggestions of
Duellman and Duellman (1959) concerning the distribution and abundance
of this lizard. Also, continued collecting in Colima and on the Pacific
coast has failed to reveal the presence of _Enyaliosaurus_ there.
~Phrynosoma asio~ Cope
_Phrynosoma asio_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia,
16:178, September 30, 1864.--Colima, Colima, Mexico.
Apatzingan (4); San Salvador.
In Michoacan this species has been obtained only in the Tepalcatepec
Valley and on the northern slopes of the Sierra de Coalcoman between 300
and 700 meters. Apparently the lizard is absent from the coastal
lowlands of Michoacan and Guerrero. The distribution of this species,
therefore, is discontinuous. One population inhabits the lowlands of
Colima and the Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin inland to northern Guerrero and
Morelos; a southern population inhabits the Plains of Tehuantepec in
Oaxaca.
A juvenile from Apatzingan (USNM 47739) has a snout-vent length of 40.0
mm. and a tail length of 19.5 mm.
~Sceloporus aeneus aeneus~ Wiegmann
_Sceloporus aeneus_ Wiegmann, Isis von Oken, 21:370,
1828.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Tres Cumbres,
Morelos, Mexico, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:137).
_Sceloporus aeneus aeneus_, Smith, Occ. Pap. Mus. Zool.
Univ. Michigan, 361:6, December 15, 1937.
Angahuan; Araparicuaro (2); Capacuaro (2); Carapan (11);
Cheran (11); 18 km. WNW of Ciudad Hidalgo (10); Cuseno
Station; Jerahuaro; Los Conejos (36); Macho de Agua (7);
Opopeo; Paracho (2); Patzcuaro (4); Pino Gordo; 18 km. W of
Quiroga (2); Tancitaro (49); Uruapan (14); 16 km. NW of
Zacapu (5); between Zacapu and Zamora (2); 13 km. E of
Zinapecuaro; 14 km. SE of Zitacuaro (14).
This small terrestrial species inhabits the pine and fir forests of the
Cordillera Volcanica between elevations of 1850 and 3100 meters;
apparently it is absent from the Sierra de Coalcoman. It seems to prefer
rather open coniferous forests in which there is a more or less
continuous cover of grasses on the ground. On warm sunny days the
lizards can be observed scurrying about in the grass; in the early hours
of the day, or on cold days, they are found beneath stones, logs, or
dead clumps of bunch grass.
~Sceloporus asper~ Boulenger
_Sceloporus asper_ Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc. London,
1897:497, October, 1897.--La Cumbre de los Arrastrados,
Jalisco, Mexico.
Apatzingan (3); 10 km. E of Dos Aguas; Uruapan (41).
This strictly arboreal lizard is abundant in the mixed broad-leafed
forest near Uruapan. The lizards are exceedingly wary and can be
approached only with difficulty. In life males have pale blue bellies;
the throat is pale pink. The pale gray dorsum marked with irregular
darker gray blotches blends well with the color of the tree trunks on
which the lizard lives. The one specimen from Dos Aguas was found on a
pine tree; it provides the only record for the species from the Sierra
de Coalcoman.
~Sceloporus bulleri~ Boulenger
_Sceloporus bulleri_ Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc. London,
1894:729, April, 1895.--Las Cumbre de los Arrastrados,
Jalisco, Mexico.
Acuaro de las Lleguas (13); Barolosa (9); Dos Aguas (61); 10
km. NE of Dos Aguas (5).
Heretofore this species has been known only from a few specimens from
scattered localities in the Sierra Madre Occidental in southwestern
Jalisco and Sinaloa. The collection of a large series of these lizards
in virgin pine forest at elevations of more than 2000 meters in the
Sierra de Coalcoman now makes possible an analysis of variation in the
species.
Superficially _S. bulleri_ resembles _S. torquatus_, but _S. bulleri_ is
smaller, has more dorsal scales, fewer scales in the dark collar, and
fewer femoral pores. In 88 specimens of _S. bulleri_ there are 36-41
(38.7) dorsal scales and 2 or 3 (2.6) middorsal scales in the collar, as
compared with 28-31 (29.3) dorsal scales and 3 or 4 (3.4) middorsal
scales in the collar of 26 specimens of _S. torquatus_ from Uruapan. In
20 adult males of _S. bulleri_ there are 13-15 (14.3) femoral pores, and
13-16 (14.4) in 11 females; 13 males of _S. torquatus_ have 14-21 (17.3)
femoral pores, and 13 females have 15-21 (16.7). Seventeen adult males
of _S. bulleri_ have snout-vent lengths of 72-91 (82.0); ten females,
71-87 (75.7). In comparison, 13 adult males of _S. torquatus_ have an
average snout-vent length of 88.9 mm., and 13 females, 88.5 mm. In _S.
bulleri_ there is little variation in the head scales. The frontal is in
contact with the interparietal in 63, and not in 24, specimens; the
median frontonasal is in contact with the frontal in 13, and not in 74,
specimens. In 39 specimens there are two canthals, and in 48 there is
one; in 29 specimens there are three preauriculars, and in 58 there are
four.
In life adult males have a pale blue tail, bright blue belly patches, a
purplish blue throat, and pale blue lines on the sides of the head and
neck.
This species was obtained at four localities in the high mountains of
the Sierra de Coalcoman. In this mountain range _Sceloporus bulleri_
apparently replaces _S. torquatus_, a species that is widespread in the
Cordillera Volcanica and on the Mexican Plateau. At Dos Aguas and at
Acuaro de las Lleguas the lizards were abundant in the tall pine forest,
where they were found on standing pine trees, on pine logs, and on rock
outcroppings.
~Sceloporus dugesi intermedius~ Duges
_Sceloporus intermedius_ Duges, La Naturaleza, 4:29,
1877.--La Noria, near Zamora, Michoacan, Mexico.
_Sceloporus dugesii intermedius_, Smith, Univ. Kansas Sci.
Bull., 24:663, February 16, 1938.
Cojumatlan (6); Jiquilpan (11); Lago de Camecuaro; Lago de
Chapala; Morelia (23); Patzcuaro (84); Quiroga (35); Sahuayo
(4); Tacicuaro (2); Tangamandapio (17); Tangancicuaro (9);
Zacapu (4); Zamora (11); Zinapecuaro (9).
This lizard is strictly an inhabitant of the Mexican Plateau, where it
is found in rocky places, sometimes in pine-oak forest, but more
frequently in mesquite-grassland. It is a terrestrial species, and is
most often seen on rock fences at elevations of 1500 to 2200 meters.
This species differs from _S. bulleri_ and _S. torquatus_ in having two
rows of supraoculars, instead of one; also it has more dorsal scales.
Twenty-six specimens of _Sceloporus dugesi intermedius_ from
Tangamandapio and Tangancicuaro have 44-48 (45.7) dorsal scales, as
compared with an average of 38.7 in _S. bulleri_ and 29.3 in _S.
torquatus_. In life _Sceloporus dugesi intermedius_ has a dull greenish
gray dorsum; in males the belly patches are bright blue bordered
medially by black, and the throat is bluish gray. The largest specimen
examined is a male having a snout-vent length of 80 mm.
~Sceloporus gadowae~ Boulenger
_Sceloporus gadoviae_ Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc. London,
1905, 2:246, October 7, 1905.--Mezquititlan, Guerrero,
Mexico.
Chupio; El Sabino (77); La Playa (6); Rio Marquez, 10 km. S
of Lombardia (11).
Although this species has a rather extensive range in the
Balsas-Tepalcatepec Basin in the state of Michoacan, Guerrero, Morelos,
and Puebla, it is only locally abundant in that area. Usually these
lizards are found on rocky cliffs in which there are many crevices for
cover. _Sceloporus gadowae_ is abundant on a conglomerate cliff along
the Rio Marquez south of Lombardia. Although the closely related _S.
pyrocephalus_ is abundant in the stream valley and in the hills above
the cliff, _S. gadowae_ has been found only on the cliff; few
individuals of _S. pyrocephalus_ have been observed on the cliff. A
similar situation was discovered on a much more extensive conglomerate
cliff along the Rio Balsas near Mexcala, Guerrero. Near Tehuitzingo,
Puebla, where _S. pyrocephalus_ was not found, _S. gadowae_ was found on
conglomerate cliffs. Probably there is strong competition between the
two species; possibly this has resulted in the restriction of _S.
gadowae_ to isolated cliff-habitats within the extensive range of the
more widespread _S. pyrocephalus_.
In Michoacan _Sceloporus gadowae_ has been found along the lower slopes
of the Cordillera Volcanica at elevations from 250 to 1050 meters. All
of the localities from which this lizard is known lie in the arid
tropical scrub forest.
~Sceloporus grammicus microlepidotus~ Wiegmann
_Sceloporus microlepidotus_ Wiegmann, Herpetologia Mexicana,
p. 51, 1834.--Mexico. Type locality restricted to Mexico,
Distrito Federal, by Smith and Taylor (1950b:120).
_Sceloporus grammicus microlepidotus_, Smith and Laufe,
Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 48:332, December, 1945.
Angahuari; Apo (10); Atzimba (3); Carapan (5); Cerro San
Andres (17); Cerro Tancitaro (18); Corupu; Cuseno Station
(2); Jacona; Jerahuaro (10); Macho de Agua; Mil Cumbres; 46
km. E of Morelia; 60 km. E of Morelia (2); Opopeo (14);
Patzcuaro (30); Puerto Hondo (19); San Gregorio (41); San
Jose de la Cumbre (8); Sierra Patamba; Tancitaro (233);
Tupataro; Undameo; Uruapan (180); between Zacapu and Zamora;
24 km. SE of Zitacuaro; between Zurumbeneo and Cerro
Garnica.
This small species of _Sceloporus_ is an ubiquitous inhabitant of the
coniferous forests from 1550 to 3100 meters in the Cordillera Volcanica.
Usually it is seen on tree trunks, but occasionally on the ground. Near
the lower limit of the altitudinal distribution of the species, as at
Uruapan, individuals sometimes are found on broad-leafed trees.
Apparently _Sceloporus heterolepis_ replaces _S. grammicus
microlepidotus_ in the Sierra de Coalcoman.
~Sceloporus heterolepis~ Boulenger
_Sceloporus heterolepis_ Boulenger, Proc. Zool. Soc. London,
1894:731, April, 1895.--La Cumbre de los Arrastrados,
Jalisco, Mexico.
Araparicuaro; Cerro Barolosa (6); Dos Aguas (13); Los
Conejos; 11 km. N of Uruapan (3).
Although Michoacan has not previously been included in the range of this
lizard, it was first collected in the state by Gadow in 1908 (BMNH
1914.1.28.69 from Araparicuaro). The description of _S. heterolepis_
given by Smith (1939:197) can be supplemented by data on the 23
specimens now in the collections of the Museum of Zoology at the
University of Michigan. All have two canthals; there are 55 to 71 (63.6)
scales in the middorsal row; 1 to 3 rows middorsally are somewhat
enlarged and bordered on either side by a row of larger scales bearing
high keels. There are 14 to 20 (16.2) femoral pores. Eight adult males
have snout-vent lengths from 49 to 61 (58.0) mm. and tail lengths from
57 to 74 (66.0) mm.; four adult females have snout-vent lengths from 52
to 57 (55.2) mm. and tail lengths from 60 to 66 (63.5) mm. The smallest
of eight juveniles has a snout-vent length of 28 mm. and a tail length
of 32 mm. The dorsum in adults is pale grayish brown; there are three
irregular chevron-shaped dark marks and a triangular dark brown mark
above the insertion of the hind limbs; on the tail are dark brown rings.
There are scattered faint blue flecks on the flanks and narrow
transverse dark lines on the lower limbs. Males have pale bluish green
belly patches and an orange-salmon-colored throat; the belly in females
is pale orange-tan. The juveniles have a more contrasting color pattern;
the dark chevrons on the dorsum are bordered posteriorly by pale gray.
In Michoacan this species has been obtained in pine and pine-fir forests
from 1800 to 2700 meters. On Cerro Barolosa and at Dos Aguas, both in
the Sierra de Coalcoman, the lizards were found beneath the bark of
dead, standing pines. In the Sierra de Coalcoman _Sceloporus
heterolepis_ seems to fill the niche of the small arboreal _Sceloporus_
in the coniferous forest in southwestern Mexico, a position held by _S.
grammicus microlepidotus_ in the Cordillera Volcanica; the latter
species does not occur in the Sierra de Coalcoman. Five specimens of
_Sceloporus heterolepis_ are known from the Cordillera Volcanica,
whereas 603 of _S. grammicus microlepidotus_ have been collected there.
The ecological relationships that exist between the two species in the
Cordillera Volcanica are not known.
Insofar as is known, _Sceloporus heterolepis_ reaches the southern
limits of its range in the Sierra de Coalcoman and in the western part
of the Cordillera Volcanica. Other records for the species are from the
Sierra Madre Occidental in Jalisco. Langebartel (1959) described
_Sceloporus shannonorum_ from the mountains near the Durango-Sinaloa
border; the single specimen of _S. shannonorum_ differs significantly
from _S. heterolepis_ only in having fewer dorsal scales (48). The
acquisition of additional material, especially from Nayarit and northern
Jalisco, probably will provide a basis for showing that these two
populations are conspecific.
~Sceloporus horridus oligoporus~ Cope
_Sceloporus oligoporus_ Cope, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci.
Philadelphia, 16:177, September 30, 1864.--Colima, Colima,
Mexico.
_Sceloporus horridus oligoporus_, Taylor, Univ. Kansas Sci.
Bull., 24:520, February 16, 1938.
Aguililla; Apatzingan (50); Arteaga (2); Capirio (2);
Cascada Tzararacua; Charapendo (4); Coahuayana (3);
Coalcoman (32); 19 km. S of Corralito; 27 km. E of Dos
Aguas; El Sabino (55); El Ticuiz; Huetamo (2); Jazmin;
Jungapeo (2); La Orilla (2); La Placita; Limoncito (3);
Playa Azul (5); Tzitzio (8); Uruapan (4); Volcan Jorullo
(2); Ziracuaretiro; Zirimicuaro (13).
All of the specimens from Michoacan seem to be typical _S. horridus
oligoporus_; none has more than six femoral pores.
Characteristically this species is found in open arid scrub forest; it
reaches its greatest abundance in rocky areas in which there are
scattered leguminous trees and bushes. It has been found in these low
trees and bushes almost as frequently as it has been found on the
ground; none has been seen in large trees or far above the ground.
Altitudinally, this species ranges from sea level to about 1600 meters.
~Sceloporus melanorhinus calligaster~ Smith
_Sceloporus melanorhinus calligaster_ Smith, Proc. U. S.
Natl. Mus., 92:360, November 5, 1942.--Acapulco, Guerrero,
Mexico.
Aguililla; Apatzingan (18); Barranca de Herradero; Capirio
(19); Coahuayana (4); Coalcoman (2); Cofradia (4); El
Cerrito; El Sabino (33); El Ticuiz (3); La Placita (6);
Lombardia (4); Playa Azul; Rio Marquez, 10 km. S of
Lombardia (2); Rio Marquez, 13 km. SE of Nueva Italia (4);
Salitre de Estopila; San Juan de Lima (2); Santa Ana;
Tzitzio; Ziracuaretiro.