{"elementGlobalId":105344,"circumscripConfidence":{"id":3,"circumscripConfidenceDescEn":"3 - Weak","circumscripConfidenceDescEs":"3 - Débil","circumscripConfidenceDescFr":"3 – Faible"},"classificationLevel":{"id":7,"classificationLevelNameEn":"Species","classificationLevelNameEs":"Especies","classificationLevelNameFr":"Espèce"},"classificationStatus":{"id":1,"classificationStatusDescEn":"Standard","classificationStatusDescEs":"Estándar","classificationStatusDescFr":"Standard"},"iucn":null,"nameCategory":{"id":1,"nameCategoryDescEn":"Vertebrate Animal","nameCategoryDescEs":"Animal vertebrado","nameCategoryDescFr":"Animal vertébré","nameTypeCd":"A","nameTypeDesc":"Zoological"},"rankMethodUsed":{"id":4,"rankMethodUsedDescEn":"Expertise without calculation","rankMethodUsedDescEs":null,"rankMethodUsedDescFr":null,"rankMethodUsedExternalDescEn":"Ranked by inspection","rankMethodUsedExternalDescEs":null,"rankMethodUsedExternalDescFr":null},"formattedScientificName":"<i>Sceloporus cowlesi</i>","scientificName":"Sceloporus cowlesi","scientificNameAuthor":"Lowe and Norris, 1956","primaryCommonName":"Southwestern Fence Lizard","relatedItisNames":null,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105344","elcode":"ARACF14132","conceptRefFullCitation":"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.","conceptName":"<i>Sceloporus undulatus cowlesi</i>","taxonomicComments":"<i>Sceloporus cowlesi</i> formerly was included in <i>S. undulatus</i>. Leaché et al. (2017) provided evidence for a 2 km northern shift in the hybrid zone of <i>S. cowlesi</i> and <i>S. tristichus</i> in Arizona over 10 years (Nicholson 2025).","roundedGRank":"G5","conservationStatusFactorsEditionDate":"2013-07-10","conservationStatusFactorsEditionAuthors":null,"primaryCommonNameLanguage":"EN","recordType":"SPECIES","elementNationals":[{"elementNationalId":163622,"classifConfidence":null,"nation":{"id":225,"nameEn":"United States","nameEs":"Estados Unidos","nameFr":"États-Unis","isoCode":"US","region":"United States"},"roundedNRank":"N5","elementSubnationals":[{"elementSubnationalId":894460,"subnation":{"id":6,"nameEn":"Arizona","nameEs":"Arizona","nameFr":"Arizona","subnationCode":"AZ","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S4","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S4","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":894460,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":893170,"subnation":{"id":88,"nameEn":"Navajo Nation","nameEs":"La Nación Navajo","nameFr":"Nation Navajo","subnationCode":"NN","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S5","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S5","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":893170,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":914630,"subnation":{"id":51,"nameEn":"Texas","nameEs":"Texas","nameFr":"Texas","subnationCode":"TX","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"SNR","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"SNR","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":914630,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}},{"elementSubnationalId":914631,"subnation":{"id":39,"nameEn":"New Mexico","nameEs":"Nuevo México","nameFr":"Nouveau-Mexique","subnationCode":"NM","dnationId":225},"roundedSRank":"S4","dataSensitive":{"id":2,"dataSensitiveDescEn":"No","dataSensitiveDescEs":null,"dataSensitiveDescFr":null,"dataSensitiveCode":"N"},"dataSensitiveCategory":null,"srank":"S4S5","speciesSubnational":{"elementSubnationalId":914631,"hybrid":false,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"nrankReviewYear":2013,"nrank":"N5","speciesNational":{"elementNationalId":163622,"exotic":false,"native":true}}],"lastModified":"2026-10-02T21:45:49.987149Z","lastPublished":"2026-10-02T21:32:08.892226Z","promotionalDescription":null,"conceptLineageSummary":null,"nsxUrl":"/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105344/Sceloporus_cowlesi","grankAdjustmentReasons":null,"grankChangeDate":"2013-07-04","grankReviewDate":"2013-07-04","grankReasons":null,"grank":"G5","rankInfo":{"elementGlobalId":105344,"aooPercentGood":null,"enviromentalSpecificity":null,"intrinsicVulnerability":null,"longTermTrend":null,"numberEos":{"id":14,"numberEosDescEn":"81 to >300","numberEosDescEs":"De 81 a >300","numberEosDescFr":"De 81 à >300"},"numberGoodEos":null,"numberProtEos":null,"popSize":{"id":35,"popSizeDescEn":"100,000 to >1,000,000 individuals","popSizeDescEs":"De 100.000 a >1.000.000 de individuos","popSizeDescFr":"De 100 000 à >1 000 000 individus"},"rangeExtent":null,"shortTermTrend":{"id":40,"shortTermTrendDescEn":"Relatively Stable (<=10% change)","shortTermTrendDescEs":"Relativamente estable (variación = <10%)","shortTermTrendDescFr":"Relativement stable (variation = <10 %)"},"threatImpactAssigned":null,"rangeExtentComments":"According to Leaché and Reeder (2002), the range of <i>Sceloporus cowlesi</i> 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 <i>S. consobrinus</i> or <i>S. tristichus</i>. Leaché and Cole (2007) documented hybridization between <i>S. cowlesi</i> and <i>S. tristichus</i> 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.","areaOfOccupancy":null,"areaOfOccupancyComments":null,"numberEosComments":"This species is represented by a large number of occurrences (subpopulations) and locations (as defined by IUCN).","popSizeComments":"Total adult population size is unknown but very large.","viabilityComments":null,"threatImpactComments":null,"shortTermTrendComments":"Trend over the past 10 years or three generations is uncertain, but distribution and abundance likely have been relatively stable.","longTermTrendComments":null,"inventoryNeeds":null,"numberProtEosComments":null,"protectionNeeds":null,"otherConsiderations":null,"intrinsicVulnerabilityComments":null,"enviromentalSpecificityComments":null},"animalCharacteristics":{"elementGlobalId":105344,"majorHabitat":{"id":3,"majorHabitatDescEn":"Terrestrial","majorHabitatDescEs":"Terrestre","majorHabitatDescFr":"Terrestre"},"nonMigrant":true,"localMigrant":false,"longDistanceMigrant":false,"mobilityMigrationComments":null,"foodHabitsComments":"Diet is dominated by insects, spiders, and other arthropods.","animalPhenologyComments":"These lizards are inactive during cold periods and during the hottest part of day in summer.","colonialBreeder":false,"length":null,"width":null,"weight":null,"animalPhenologies":[{"animalCagPhenologyId":103698,"animalPhenology":{"id":1,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Hibernates/aestivates","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Hibernación/Estivación","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Hiberne/estive","displayOrder":1},"adult":true,"immature":true},{"animalCagPhenologyId":103699,"animalPhenology":{"id":3,"animalPhenologyDescEn":"Diurnal","animalPhenologyDescEs":"Diurno","animalPhenologyDescFr":"Diurne","displayOrder":3},"adult":true,"immature":true}],"animalFoodHabits":[{"animalCagFoodHabitsId":106705,"foodHabits":{"id":3,"foodHabitsDescEn":"Invertivore","foodHabitsDescEs":"Invertívoro","foodHabitsDescFr":"Invertivore","displayOrder":3},"adult":true,"immature":true}]},"occurrenceDelineations":[{"eoSpecsDetailId":1162,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"eoSpecGroupName":"Phrynosomatid Lizards","subtypes":null,"inferredExtentDistance":0.2,"inferredExtentNotes":null,"minimumEoCriteria":"Occurrences are based on evidence of historical presence, or current and likely recurring presence, at a given location. Such evidence minimally includes collection or reliable observation and documentation of one or more individuals (including eggs) in or near appropriate habitat where the species is presumed to be established and breeding.","mappingGuidance":null,"separationBarriers":"Busy highway or highway with obstructions such that lizards rarely if ever cross successfully; major river, lake, pond, or deep marsh; urbanized area dominated by buildings and pavement.","separationDistanceUnsuitableHabitatat":1.0,"separationDistanceSuitableHabitatat":5.0,"altSeparationProcedure":null,"separationJustification":"Phrynosomatid lizards have small home range sizes, usually less than 0.5 ha (often much less) and rarely more than 1 ha  (see examples in BCD EO Specs). In a study that documented exceptionally large home range size for a phrynosomatid, Munger (1984a) found that single-season home range size of <i>Phrynosoma cornutum</i> in southern Arizona averaged less than 2.5 ha. Dispersal distances are poorly known, and most studies have not been designed to detect long distance movements. The separation distance for suitable habitat is a compromise between the typical sedentary habits of these lizards, their physical ability to cover fairly large distances in a short period of time, their tendency to occur throughout patches of suitable habitat, and the likely low probability that two occupied locations separated by less than several kilometers of suitable habitat would represent independent populations.","versionDate":"2004-09-21","versionAuthor":"Hammerson, G.","versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-04-30T02:06:33.240021Z"}],"plantCharacteristics":null,"elementManagement":{"elementGlobalId":105344,"eoManagementGroupName":null,"stewardshipOverview":null,"impacts":null,"restorationPotential":null,"siteConservationPlansConsidered":null,"managementMethods":null,"monitoringMethods":null,"managementProgramContacts":null,"monitoringProgramContacts":null,"managementResearchPrograms":null,"managementResearchNeeds":null,"biologicalResearchNeeds":null,"additionalTopics":null},"occurrenceViabilities":[{"eoRankSpecsDetailId":106770,"eoRankSpecsGroupName":null,"locationUseClass":{"id":1,"locationUseClassDescEn":"Not applicable","locationUseClassDescEs":"No se aplica","locationUseClassDescFr":"Sans objet","displayOrder":1},"excellentViability":null,"goodViability":null,"fairViability":null,"poorViability":null,"viabilityJustification":"Use the Generic Guidelines for the Application of Occurrence Ranks (2008).<br>The Key for Ranking Species Occurrences Using the Generic Approach provides a step-wise process for implementing this method.","versionDate":null,"versionAuthor":null,"versionNotes":null,"lastModified":"2020-05-14T02:28:47.105816Z"}],"references":[{"id":137880,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Collins","shortCitationYear":1990,"referenceCode":"B90COL01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:15.579798Z"},{"id":621810,"citation":"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","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2008,"referenceCode":"B08CRO01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T14:38:20.142383Z"},{"id":722484,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2012,"referenceCode":"B12CRO01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:51.08501Z"},{"id":943912,"citation":"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]","shortCitationAuthor":"Crother","shortCitationYear":2017,"referenceCode":"B17CRO01EHUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:11:53.413199Z"},{"id":722489,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Leaché  and Cole","shortCitationYear":2007,"referenceCode":"A07LEA03NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:24:43.846525Z"},{"id":146823,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Leaché and Reeder","shortCitationYear":2002,"referenceCode":"A02LEA01NAUS","lastModified":"2020-02-25T18:24:43.846525Z"},{"id":1168027,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Leache et al.","shortCitationYear":2017,"referenceCode":"A17LEA04NAUS","lastModified":"2026-07-03T02:06:26.066726Z"},{"id":1153425,"citation":"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","shortCitationAuthor":"Nicholson","shortCitationYear":2025,"referenceCode":"B25NIC01NAUS","lastModified":"2026-06-06T01:36:32.018241Z"},{"id":762695,"citation":"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.","shortCitationAuthor":"Powell et al.","shortCitationYear":2016,"referenceCode":"B16POW01NAUS","lastModified":"2026-01-30T22:50:26.353423Z"},{"id":1066932,"citation":"Rosenblum, E. B. 2006. Convergent evolution and divergent selection: lizards at the White Sands ecotone. American Naturalist 167:1-15.","shortCitationAuthor":"Rosenblum","shortCitationYear":2006,"referenceCode":"A06ROS02NAUS","lastModified":"2020-11-11T02:14:57.03847Z"},{"id":722483,"citation":"Rosenblum, E. B., and L. J. Harmon. 2010. \"Same same but different\": replicated ecological speciation at White Sands. 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Usually these lizards are in open/sunny situations.","generalDescription":null,"diagnosticCharacteristics":null,"speciesMarineHabitats":[],"speciesTerrestrialHabitats":[{"cagTerrHabId":-113643,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":23,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Forest/Woodland","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Bosque/Tierras forestales ","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Forêt/terrain boisé","displayOrder":1}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113644,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":24,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Forest Edge","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Lindero del bosque","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Bordure de forêt","displayOrder":5}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113645,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":4,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Woodland - Hardwood","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Lote de madera - Madera dura","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Terrain boisé — Feuillu","displayOrder":6}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113646,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":5,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Woodland - Conifer","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Lote de madera - Conífera","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Terrain boisé — Résineux","displayOrder":7}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113647,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":6,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Woodland - Mixed","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Lote de madera - Mixto","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Terrain boisé — Mixte","displayOrder":8}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113648,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":7,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Shrubland/chaparral","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Matorral/Chaparral","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Fruticée/Chaparral","displayOrder":9}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113649,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":17,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Bare rock/talus/scree","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Roca viva/pendiente de roca/piedras sueltas","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Éboulis","displayOrder":20}},{"cagTerrHabId":-113650,"terrestrialHabitat":{"id":18,"terrestrialHabitatDescEn":"Cliff","terrestrialHabitatDescEs":"Acantilado","terrestrialHabitatDescFr":"Falaise","displayOrder":21}}],"speciesRiverineHabitats":[],"speciesPalustrineHabitats":[{"cagPalusHabId":-104236,"palustrineHabitat":{"id":6,"palustrineHabitatDescEn":"Riparian","palustrineHabitatDescEs":"Ribereño","palustrineHabitatDescFr":"Riverain","displayOrder":6}}],"speciesLacustrineHabitats":[],"speciesSubterraneanHabitats":[],"speciesEstuarineHabitats":[]},"primaryReference":{"id":1153425,"citation":"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","shortCitationAuthor":"Nicholson","shortCitationYear":2025,"referenceCode":"B25NIC01NAUS","lastModified":"2026-06-06T01:36:32.018241Z"},"predecessors":[{"predecessorId":103409,"elCode":null,"name":"Sceloporus undulatus","formattedName":"<i>Sceloporus undulatus</i>","classficationCode":null,"uniqueId":"ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.101699","lineageDate":null,"nsxUrl":null}],"elementGlobalThreatAssessments":[]}