San Pedro side-blotched lizard
Species of lizard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The San Pedro side-blotched lizard (Uta palmeri), also known commonly as mancha lateral de San Pedro Mártir in Mexican Spanish, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is endemic to Mexico.[1][2]
| San Pedro side-blotched lizard | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Iguania |
| Family: | Phrynosomatidae |
| Genus: | Uta |
| Species: | U. palmeri |
| Binomial name | |
| Uta palmeri Stejneger, 1890 | |
Etymology
The specific name, palmeri, is in honor of American zoologist Theodore Sherman Palmer.[3]: 200
Geographic distribution
Uta palmeri is found in the Mexican state of Sonora, on San Pedro Mártir Island (Isla San Pedro Mártir), an island in the Gulf of California (Sea of Cortés).[1][2]
Habitat
The preferred natural habitats of Uta palmeri are the intertidal zone and rocky hillsides.[1]
Behavior
Uta palmeri is terrestrial.[1]
Diet
For much of the year Uta palmeri eats mostly plant matter. However, during the nesting season of the blue-footed booby (Sula nebouxii) on the island, the lizard eats fish scraps dropped by the birds and flies attracted to the guano of the birds.[1]