Reptile
Yarrow's Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus jarroviiAlso known as Mountain Spiny Lizard
Yarrow's spiny lizards dominate the rocky sky islands of the American Southwest and northern Mexico, basking openly on sun-drenched granite boulders and canyon faces. Unlike most temperate reptiles, they breed in late autumn, and females carry developing young through freezing winters to give birth to live offspring in early summer. Dominant males aggressively defend high vantage perches, displaying vivid turquoise flank scales and rhythmic push-ups to deter territorial rivals.
DiurnalMontaneLive-bearing
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyBeetles, Ants, Grasshoppers
Predators
- Rock Rattlesnake
- American Kestrel
- Greater Roadrunner
ThreatsMountaintop warming driven by climate change and intense wildfires
HabitatsMontane canyons, oak-pine woodlands, and boulder-strewn talus slopes
Life span3–5 years
Classification
- FamilyPhrynosomatidae
- SpeciesSceloporus jarrovii
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Basking Locations: Scan sunlit south-facing rock faces and stone walls during warm morning hours.
- Quiet Approach: Walk gently without casting an overhead shadow, which triggers rapid retreats into deep crevices.
- Display Watching: Look for territorial push-ups from males that flash bright blue ventral coloration.
Predator Caudatejake / CC BY-SA 4.0 · cc-by-sa
Image unavailableClose Relative 
Close Relative (c) Tom Kennedy, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Kennedy · cc-byClose Relative
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