About Gambelia wislizenii (Baird & Girard, 1852)
Gambelia wislizenii, commonly called the long-nosed leopard lizard, has granular dorsal scales. Its base body color can be white, cream, or gray, with irregular brown or dark gray spots along the body and head. Some individuals have dark crossbars across the back, and the tail also bears dark crossbars. Juveniles have more highly contrasted markings than adults, often with rusty coloring on the back or bright red spots, plus yellow coloring on the thighs and under the tail. Males and females differ in appearance: females reach an average snout-vent length of 15 cm (5.8 in), while males are smaller at around 12 cm (4.8 in) snout-vent length. Both sexes can undergo dramatic color changes. In the dark color phase, the lizard's spots are nearly hidden, and light crossbars become very obvious on both the body and tail. In the light color phase this pattern reverses, with dominant base colors ranging from gray and pinkish to brown or yellowish-brown. During the mating season, gravid females develop reddish-orange spots and bars on their sides and underneath the tail, while breeding males develop a pink or rusty wash on the throat, chest, and sometimes the body. This species prefers arid and semiarid plains with scattered low plants such as bunch grass, alkali bush, sagebrush, and creosote bush. The ground in its habitat can be hardpan, sand, or gravel, often with rocks used as basking sites. G. wislizenii favors flat areas with open space for running, and avoids densely vegetated regions. It occurs from near sea level up to around 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in elevation. Its range covers the western United States, extending north from Oregon to Idaho, and south into northern Mexico, including Baja California, Sonora, Coahuila, and Zacatecas, as well as Casa Grande, Arizona. In San Diego County, California, it occurs east of the Peninsula Ranges within the Lower Colorado Desert, typically found on desert flats and in lower foothills with sparse vegetation. The breeding season for G. wislizenii runs from May to June. Most females lay a single clutch of 5 to 6 eggs in June or July, which hatch in late summer, between July and August. No pair bond forms between mating adults. Usually only one clutch is laid per year, but females in warmer southern climates may lay up to two clutches per year. Egg-laying takes place in a burrow, and no structured nest is built. The incubation period for eggs is estimated between five and seven weeks. Young lizards emerge in August, when adult activity is winding down. This timing of juvenile emergence overlapping with the end of adult activity may help prevent cannibalism.
