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Granite spiny lizards (Sceloporus orcutii) are large,
beautiful lizards native to a small piece of southern California and adjacent
Mexico. As their name implies, they are frequently found basking on large
granite boulders on rocky hillsides in arid scrubland. The species is strongly
sexually dimorphic, and males are larger and much more colorful than females (the males' purple backs, greenish sides, and brilliant blue undersides are striking in good light). I took these pictures
in the Box Springs Mountains near Riverside, CA.
Close-up photos of belly and back scales appear on another page. |
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