Reptiles
Canyon Lizard
Sceloporus merriami · also called canyon lizards
Pressed flat against a sun-warmed limestone canyon wall in the Trans-Pecos region of Texas, a canyon lizard blends so completely with the surrounding rock that only a sudden dash toward a nearby crevice reveals it was ever there at all.
Overview
The canyon lizard, Sceloporus merriami, is a small, slender lizard native to desert canyon and rocky slope habitat across the Trans-Pecos region of western Texas and adjacent parts of northern Mexico. Its exceptional camouflage against limestone and rhyolite rock, flattened body suited to crevice living, and live-bearing reproductive strategy make it one of the more specialised rock-dwelling lizards of the Chihuahuan Desert region.
A lizard that becomes part of the rock
The canyon lizard’s pale, mottled pattern does more than simply resemble desert canyon rock, blending so precisely that predators and observers alike can walk right past one without ever noticing it was there.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and stable across suitable desert canyon and rocky slope habitat throughout the Trans-Pecos region of Texas and adjacent Mexico.
Canyon Lizard: common questions
Why is the canyon lizard so hard to spot?
This species displays a light, mottled colouration that closely matches the limestone and rhyolite rock faces of the desert canyons it inhabits, and combined with its small size and tendency to remain motionless, it can be nearly invisible against the rock until it actually moves.
Does the canyon lizard lay eggs?
No, unlike many other spiny lizard species that lay eggs, this species gives birth to live young, a reproductive strategy that may be better suited to the more variable and sometimes unpredictable temperatures found within its rocky desert canyon habitat.
Why does the canyon lizard have such a flattened body?
This species has a somewhat flattened body that helps it press tightly against rock surfaces and squeeze into narrow crevices when threatened, an adaptation well suited to its close dependence on rock-face habitat within desert canyons.
Where does the canyon lizard live?
This species is native to desert canyon and rocky slope habitat across the Trans-Pecos region of western Texas and adjacent parts of northern Mexico, staying closely tied to suitable rock faces and rarely venturing far from them.