Petrosaurus mearnsi, also called commonly the banded rock lizard and Mearns' rock lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to western North America.
Etymology The specific name, mearnsi, is in honor of American naturalist Edgar Alexander Mearns, who collected the first specimens.Beltz, Ellin (2006). Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America – Explained. ebeltz.net/herps/biogappx.html.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . (Petrosaurus mearnsi, p. 174).
Geographic range Petrosaurus mearnsi is endemic to extreme southern California and Baja California, Mexico.Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. (paperback). (Streptosaurus mearnsi, pp. 110–111). It also occurs on Isla El Muerto.
Description Petrosaurus mearnsi is an extremely flat-bodied lizard. Its dorsum is olive, brown or gray, with white or bluish spots. It has a single black collar, a banded tail, and granular scales on its body, with keeled tail and limb scales. Individuals may have a snout-to-vent length (SVL) of . Males have more pronounced throat patterns and brighter blue coloring than females.
Habitat Petrosaurus mearnsi is associated with boulder hillsides, extending in Baja California to chaparral and pinyon-juniper woodlands.
Diet Petrosaurus mearnsi is omnivorous, feeding not only on insects and spiders, but also on buds and flowers.Stebbins RC (2003). A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, Third Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series®. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin. xiii + 533 pp. (paperback). (Petrosaurus mearnsi, pp. 298–299 + Plate 32 + Map 100).
Reproduction Gravid females of Petrosaurus mearnsi lay eggs from June through August. Clutch size varies from 2 to 6 eggs.
References
Sources This article is based on a description from "A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Coastal Southern California", Robert N. Fisher and Ted J. Case, USGS, https://www.werc.usgs.gov/fieldguide/index.htm .
Further reading
Schulze Niehoff, Peter (2018). "Mearns' Rock Lizard, Petrosaurus mearnsi (Stejneger, 1894) – its natural history, captive care and first breeding record". Sauria (Berlin) 40 (1): 58–74. Stejneger L (1894). "Description of Uta mearnsi, a new Lizard from California". Proceedings of the United States National Museum 17: 589–591. (Uta mearnsi, new species).