The Emerald Swift Lizard is a species of lizard that is native to parts of Central America.
This is a small species of lizard that is also referred to as the the Green Spiny Lizard or simply the Emerald Swift for short.
Emerald Swift Lizard Taxonomy
In the Animal Kingdom, Taxonomy is used as the science and practice of classifying different species and sub-species based on their biological and genetic makeup.
Family
The family that the Emeral Swift Lizard belongs to is called Phrynosomatidae. This is a diverse family of lizard’s native to North and Central America.
The species in this family live in a wide variety of different habitats from sandy or rocky deserts to prairies
Some of the other lizards in this family include the Texas Horned Lizard and the Speckled Earless Lizard.
Genus
The genus that the Emerald Swift Lizard belongs to is called Sceloporus. The species in this genus are endemic to North America although there is one species that can be found in Central America.
The species in this genus are often collectively referred to as Fence Lizards, Scaly Lizards or Swifts.
This is a very large genus with over 100 different species and sub-species recognised.
Some of the other species in the genus include the Desert Spiny Lizard and the Southern Black-nosed Lizard.
Species
The scientific name for the Emerald Swift Lizard is Sceloporus malachiticus and there are currently no recognised sub-species.
The species was first described in 1864 by and American zoologist named Edward Drinker Cope.
Emerald Swift Lizard Description
The Emerald Swift Lizard is a medium sized species, growing to a total length of 15-20cm including their tail.
These lizards are bright green in color with bright blue patches running along the sides of the lizard. This blue coloration also extends down the lizard’s tail.
The outline of the scales is usually black in color which provides great contrast to the brighter green and blue colors.
The scales are fairly heavily scaled which gives the lizard a rough or spiny texture.
Females typically have a far less vibrant coloration, appearing more dull brown in color. However, they can still have tones of green or yellow appearing.
Natural Habitat and Distribution
The Emerald Swift Lizard is native to parts of Central America where it can be found from parts of Mexico to Panama.
In the Northern part of their range, the Emerald Swift Lizard can be found in the very Southern parts of Mexico.
Their range extends Southwards through countries such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
They can be found as far South as the Northern parts of Panama.
They like to live in the tropical and semi-tropical environments of Central America.
These lizards can be found in areas such as rock outcrops, in trees and even in urban areas such as parks and gardens.
This species occupies some of the same geographical range as species such as the Honduran Milk Snake, the Brown Basilisk and the Green Vine Snake.
Behaviour
The Emerald Swift Lizard is a diurnal species, meaning they are usually most active during the day and sleep during the night.
This species of lizard is arboreal and can climb most structures including trees, bushes, walls and rock faces.
In the morning, this lizard will emerge from its burrow and hunt for insects. When the sun becomes stronger, they will often spend the rest of the day basking in the open.
These lizards are Ovoviviparous, meaning they give birth to live young. They can give birth to up to 15 babies each year.
Unlike traditional live-bearing animals which are viviparous, these lizards actually develop their babies in eggs inside their body and emerge from their mother as living animals.
