Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
Summary 7
The tree lizard or ornate tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) is a species of lizard native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The species has been used to research the physiological changes in the body during the fight-or-flight response as related to stress and aggressive competition. Also, its life history and costs of reproduction have been documented in field populations in New Mexico.
Morphology 8
Tree lizards are small lizards, ranging from 3.8 to 5.9 cm. They have a slim body and tail patterned with blotches and/or irregular crossbars with a variety of colorations ranging from black, dark brown, tan, and gray to match the local habitat. Down the middle of the back there are two bands of larger scales running the length of the body. The base of their tails is usually a rusty color. Adult males have brightly colored patches on the ventral surface. The sides of the belly are blue to blue-green and have a metallic sheen. An additional colored patch found on the throats of males, known as a dewlap, can be green, blue-green, orange, or yellow, whereas females have a white underbelly and throat color in white, orange, or yellow.
Range mass: 4 to 6.5 g.
Average mass: 5.3 g.
Range length: 3.8 to 5.7 cm.
Other Physical Features: heterothermic
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently; male more colorful
Sources and Credits
- (c) Richard Droker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/29750062@N06/3492873006
- (c) Cullen Hanks, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Cullen Hanks
- (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2907/14010419933_8e7814319f_o.jpg
- (c) Greg Lasley, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Greg Lasley
- (c) Kenneth Bader, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Kenneth Bader
- (c) Bob Heitzman, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Bob Heitzman
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urosaurus_ornatus
- (c) The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/31428998
