Karyotypes and systematics of the lizards in the variabilis, jalapae, and scalaris species groups of the genus Sceloporus. American Museum novitates ; no. 2653

Abstract

"Karyotypes of 11 species of Sceloporus are described and illustrated. Lizards included are all species of the variabilis group as recognized by Smith (1939), all species of the jalapae and scalaris groups as recognized by Thomas and Dixon (1976), and Sceloporus siniferus of the siniferus group (for comparisons). The lizards examined include four of the seven species placed in the genus Lysoptychus by Larsen and Tanner (1975), karyotypes of the other three species of which I described earlier. Data from karyotypes and other morphological characteristics suggest the following: (1) Lysoptychus is a junior synonym of Sceloporus; (2) the variabilis group is distinctive; (3) S. teapensis is not specifically distinct from S. variabilis; (4) the variabilis group includes S. variabilis, S. chrysostictus, S. couchii, S. cozumelae, and S. parvus; (5) the species in the jalapae group (S. jalapae, S. ochoterenae) are very similar to each other; and (6) the scalaris group (S. scalaris, S. aeneus, S. goldmani) is distinctive"--P. [1].