Reptiles
Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia sila · also called blunt-nosed leopard lizards
A blunt-nosed leopard lizard holds perfectly still on a remaining patch of San Joaquin Valley grassland, its spotted body blending into the dry earth, one of the last strongholds of a species that has already lost more than half its historical home to farmland.
Overview
The blunt-nosed leopard lizard, Gambelia sila, is a federally endangered lizard native to grassland and desert scrub habitat within the San Joaquin Valley of central California. Its leopard-like spotted pattern, dramatic orange breeding colouration in males, and severe habitat loss to agriculture make it one of the more genuinely imperiled reptiles in the American West.
A species running out of valley
As California’s San Joaquin Valley converted from open grassland to farmland over the past century, the blunt-nosed leopard lizard lost the majority of its entire world along with it, leaving only scattered remnants of suitable habitat behind.
Status
Endangered — federally protected following severe population decline tied to the conversion of more than half its historical habitat to agriculture.
Blunt-Nosed Leopard Lizard: common questions
Why is the blunt-nosed leopard lizard endangered?
More than half of this species' historical grassland habitat within the San Joaquin Valley of central California has been converted to agriculture, a loss severe enough to drive significant population decline and earn the species federal protection under the US Endangered Species Act.
Why do male blunt-nosed leopard lizards turn orange?
A breeding male develops orange or salmon-coloured spotting along its sides during the breeding season, a seasonal colour change likely tied to courtship and signalling reproductive readiness to potential mates.
How rare is it for a lizard to be listed under the Endangered Species Act?
Genuinely uncommon — the blunt-nosed leopard lizard is one of the relatively few lizard species specifically protected under the US Endangered Species Act, reflecting just how severe its habitat loss and population decline have become within its narrow San Joaquin Valley range.
Where does the blunt-nosed leopard lizard live?
This species is native almost exclusively to the San Joaquin Valley of central California, occupying grassland and desert scrub habitat within a range far more limited than most other leopard lizard species found elsewhere in the Southwest.