Sceloporus occidentalis becki

Sceloporus occidentalis becki, commonly known as the island fence lizard, is a subspecies of the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis.

Sceloporus occidentalis becki
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Iguania
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Sceloporus
Species:
S. occidentalis
Subspecies:
S. o. becki
Trinomial name
Sceloporus occidentalis becki

Etymology

The subspecific epithet, becki, is in honor of Rollo Howard Beck, an American ornithologist who collected the first specimens.[1][2]

Geographic range

The island fence lizard, S. o. becki, is endemic[3] to the Channel Islands of California.[4]

Taxonomy

Some authors have raised the island fence lizard to the rank of a species, i.e., Sceloporus becki. However, recent work in molecular systematics has suggested four clades and 11 genetically separable populations, and the subspecies will probably have to be redefined.[5]

See also

Line notes
  1. Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained. http://ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html
  2. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Sceloporus occidentalis becki, p. 21).
  3. Hogan, 2008.
  4. Flaxington, 2005.
  5. "Sceloporus occidentalis ". Integrated Taxonomic Information System.

References
  • Hogan, C. Michael (2008). "Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)". Globaltwitcher, ed. Nicklas Stromberg
  • Flaxington, William (2005). Photograph of Island fence lizard on Santa Cruz Island. Calphotos


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