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Canyon lizard
	A male Big Bend canyon lizard (S. m. annulatus) near Big Bend NP, Texas
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Squamata
Suborder:	Iguania
Family:	Phrynosomatidae
Genus:	Sceloporus
Species:	S. merriami
Binomial name
	Sceloporus merriami; Stejneger, 1904

Sceloporus merriami, commonly known as the canyon lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the south-western United States and northern Mexico.^[1]^[2]

Etymology

The specific name, merriami, is in honor of American zoologist Clinton Hart Merriam.^[2]^[3]^[4]

Geographic range

S. merriami is found in the United States in the state of Texas, and it is found in Mexico in the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango,^[1] and Nuevo León.^[2]

Description

Adults of S. merriami may reach 58 mm (2.2 in) snout-to-vent length (SVL). Including the tail, they may reach 162 mm (6.4 in) in total length. The dorsal scales are small, and the lateral scales are granular.^[5]

Dorsally, the canyon lizard is gray, tan, or reddish-brown, matching the rocks on which it lives. There are four rows of dark spots on the back, and a vertical black line in front of the front leg. Males have blue and black lines on the throat.^[6]

Subspecies

The seven recognized subspecies of S. merriami, including the nominotypical subspecies, are:^[2]

Sceloporus merriami annulatus H.M. Smith, 1937 – Big Bend canyon lizard
Sceloporus merriami australis K.L. Williams, H.M. Smith & Chrapliwy, 1960 – southeastern canyon lizard
Sceloporus merriami ballingeri Lemos-Espinal, H.M. Smith, Auth & Chiszar, 2001 – Ballinger's canyon lizard^[4]
Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus Olson, 1973 – Presidio canyon lizard
Sceloporus merriami merriami Stejneger, 1904 – Merriam's canyon lizard^[4]^[7]
Sceloporus merriami sanojae Lemos-Espinal & Chiszar, 2003 – Sanoja's canyon lizard^[4]
Sceloporus merriami williamsi Lemos-Espinal, Chiszar & H.M. Smith, 2000 – Williams' canyon lizard^[4]^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Hammerson, G.A.; Vazquez Díaz, J.; Gadsden. H.; Quintero Díaz, G.E.; Ponce-Campos, P.; Lavin, P. (2007). "Sceloporus merriami". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2007: e.T64126A12747298. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2007.RLTS.T64126A12747298.en. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Sceloporus merriami at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 4 September 2021.
^ Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained.^[1]
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Beolens B, Watkins M, Grayson M (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sceloporus merriami, p. 176; S. m. ballingeri, p. 15; S. m. sanojae, p. 232; S. m. williamsi, p. 286).
^ Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America, A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. ISBN 0-307-13666-3.
(Sceloporus merriami, pp. 116–117).
^ Conant R (1975). A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. xviii + 429 pp. + Plates 1–48. ISBN 0-395-19977-8 (paperback). (Sceloporus merriami, pp. 106–107 + Plate 16 + Map 62).
^ ^a ^b Bell, Edwin L.; Smith, Hobart M.; Chiszar, David (2003), "An Annotated List of the Species-Group Names Applied to the Lizard Genus Sceloporus." (PDF), Acta Zoológica Mexicana, [new series], 90: 103–174