Aspidoscelis, AT

MANNING, GLENN J., COLE, CHARLES J., DESSAUER, HERBERT C. & WALKER, JAMES M., 2005, Hybridization Between Parthenogenetic Lizards (Aspidoscelis neomexicana) and Gonochoristic Lizards (Aspidoscelis sexlineata viridis) in New Mexico: Ecological, Morphological, Cytological, and Molecular Context, American Museum Novitates 3492 (1), pp. 1-56 : 12

ASPIDOSCELIS AT SITE CL­1*

(SOUTH OF CLABBERHILL RANCH)

The first of the four lizards used by Leuck et al. (1981) to voucher the presence of A. neomexicana at Conchas Lake (LACM 128281) was collected in 1978 ‘‘near the entrance to the Clabber Hill [5 Clabberhill] Ranch’’ (about 500 m south of the ranch gate; Leuck, personal commun.; Walker et al., 1992 [CL­1 on map]; fig. 1 this study). This specimen and an apparent hybrid female of A. neomexicana 3 A. sexlineata viridis (OMNH 35109), A. exsanguis , and A. tesselata (Leuck, personal commun.) were found in habitat described by Leuck et al. (1981) as ‘‘open Juniper­grassland on sandstone substrate.’’

The part of site CL­1* investigated by GJM in 2000–2003, about 500 m northwest of the point of origin of Leuck’s specimens, marked the known distributional limit of A. neomexicana north of the Canadian River and provided the only known site of syntopy between A. neomexicana and A. sexlineata viridis north of the river in San Miguel County, New Mexico. Here, sandy mesquiteinvaded grassland (preferred by A. sexlineata viridis , foreground in fig. 2) merges with a hilly area with junipers (preferred by A. neomexicana , background in fig. 2). In four visits to CL­1* in 2000–2003, GJM collected 14 A. neomexicana , two A. exanguis , two A. tesselata C, and observed two A. sexlineata viridis (appendix 1). We hypothesized that the lack of a disturbed transition zone between the grassland and hill components at South of Clabberhill Ranch ( fig. 2) had minimized syntopic interactions and the likelihood of hybridization between A. neomexicana and A. sexlineata viridis here. The only putative hybrid from CL­1* remains OMNH 35109 collected by B.E. Leuck and colleagues in 1978.