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Home/Species/ Southwestern Fence Lizard

Sceloporus cowlesi

Lowe and Norris, 1956

Southwestern Fence Lizard

G5Secure Found in 51 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105344
Element CodeARACF14132
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
Endemicoccurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyPhrynosomatidae
GenusSceloporus
Synonyms
Sceloporus undulatus cowlesiLowe and Norris, 1956
Concept Reference
Leaché, A. D., and T. W. Reeder. 2002. Molecular systematics of the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus): a comparison of parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian approaches. Systematic Biology 51:44-68.
Taxonomic Comments
Sceloporus cowlesi formerly was included in S. undulatus. Leaché et al. (2017) provided evidence for a 2 km northern shift in the hybrid zone of S. cowlesi and S. tristichus in Arizona over 10 years (Nicholson 2025).
Conservation Status
Rank MethodExpertise without calculation
Review Date2013-07-04
Change Date2013-07-04
Edition Date2013-07-10
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
According to Leaché and Reeder (2002), the range of Sceloporus cowlesi includes southern and eastern Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas, and northern Chihuahua, Mexico. Leaché and Reeder (2002) provided only coarse-scale range maps and did not include distributional details for areas where the range of this species adjoins or approaches the ranges of S. consobrinus or S. tristichus. Leaché and Cole (2007) documented hybridization between S. cowlesi and S. tristichus in Arizona. Powell et al. (2016) indicated the range as extending from eastern Arizona and western, central, and southern New Mexico southward through western Texas to northcentral Mexico.
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations) and locations (as defined by IUCN).
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitat in most areas consists of openly wooded, shrubby, or rocky areas. Usually these lizards are in open/sunny situations.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest EdgeWoodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralBare rock/talus/screeCliff
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
ArizonaS4Yes
New MexicoS4Yes
Navajo NationS5Yes
TexasSNRYes
Roadless Areas (51)
Arizona (12)
AreaForestAcres
Butterfly Roadless AreaCoronado National Forest42,296
Cdo WsaCoronado National Forest1,955
CenterfireApache-Sitgreaves National Forests13,130
ChiricahuaCoronado National Forest76,876
GaliuroCoronado National Forest28,333
Hell HoleApache-Sitgreaves National Forests15,512
Middle Dragoon RoadlessCoronado National Forest10,543
NolanApache-Sitgreaves National Forests6,780
Oracle RoadlessCoronado National Forest22,365
PinalenoCoronado National Forest130,920
Santa TeresaCoronado National Forest8,929
TumacacoriCoronado National Forest44,594
New Mexico (39)
AreaForestAcres
Alamo CanyonSanta Fe National Forest8,639
Apache Kid ContiguousCibola National Forest67,542
Aspen MountainGila National Forest23,784
Black CanyonSanta Fe National Forest1,922
CajaSanta Fe National Forest5,304
Capitan MountainsLincoln National Forest14,069
Carrizo MountainLincoln National Forest17,280
Contiguous To Black & Aldo Leopold WildernessGila National Forest111,883
Contiguous To Gila Wilderness & Primitive AreaGila National Forest79,049
Devils CreekGila National Forest89,916
Dry CreekGila National Forest26,719
Frisco BoxGila National Forest38,979
Goat SpringCibola National Forest5,755
Guaje CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,104
Hell HoleGila National Forest19,553
Jefferies CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
Juan de Gabaldon GrantSanta Fe National Forest8,023
Last Chance CanyonLincoln National Forest8,934
LemitasSanta Fe National Forest8,129
Little TesuqueSanta Fe National Forest815
Meadow CreekGila National Forest34,167
Mother HubbardGila National Forest5,895
Nichols ReservoirSanta Fe National Forest1,518
NolanGila National Forest13,051
Ortega PeakLincoln National Forest11,545
Pacheco CanyonSanta Fe National Forest1,012
Peloncillo (NM)Coronado National Forest43,339
RendijaSanta Fe National Forest2,176
Ryan HillCibola National Forest34,201
San JoseCibola National Forest16,950
Sawyers PeakGila National Forest59,743
Scott MesaCibola National Forest39,515
South Guadalupe MountainsLincoln National Forest20,930
Tesuque CreekSanta Fe National Forest810
The HubGila National Forest7,498
Thompson PeakSanta Fe National Forest33,001
Virgin CanyonSanta Fe National Forest6,068
Wahoo MountainGila National Forest23,122
West Face Sacramento MountainsLincoln National Forest41,176
References (11)
  1. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  2. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  3. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  4. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  5. Leaché, A. D., and C. J. Cole. 2007. Hybridization between multiple fence lizard lineages in an ecotone: locally discordant variation in mitochondrial DNA, chromosomes, and morphology. Molecular Ecology 16:1035-1054.
  6. Leaché, A. D., and T. W. Reeder. 2002. Molecular systematics of the eastern fence lizard (<i>Sceloporus undulatus</i>): a comparison of parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian approaches. Systematic Biology 51:44-68.
  7. Leaché, A. D., J. A. Grummer, R. B. Harris, and I. K. Breckheimer. 2017. Evidence for concerted movement of nuclear and mitochondrial clines in a lizard hybrid zone. Molecular Ecology 26:2306-2316.
  8. Nicholson, K. E. (ed.). 2025. Scientific and Standard English Names of Amphibians and Reptiles of North America North of Mexico, with Comments Regarding Confidence in Our Understanding. Ninth Edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. 87 pp. Online database available at: https://cnah.org/SSARnames.aspx
  9. Powell, R., R. Conant, and J. T. Collins. 2016. Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, fourth edition. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston and New York. 512 pp.
  10. Rosenblum, E. B. 2006. Convergent evolution and divergent selection: lizards at the White Sands ecotone. American Naturalist 167:1-15.
  11. Rosenblum, E. B., and L. J. Harmon. 2010. "Same same but different": replicated ecological speciation at White Sands. Evolution 65:946-960.