Sceloporus cowlesi Lowe & Norris, 1956

Common Names and Taxonomic Placement

Sceloporus cowlesi, which is commonly called the southwestern fence lizard, and is also known as Cowles' prairie lizard, the White Sands prairie lizard, or the White Sands swift, is a species of spiny lizard belonging to the family Iguanidae.

Native Range

This species is native to the Chihuahuan Desert, located in the southwestern United States and north-central Mexico.

Original Taxonomic Classification

When it was originally described in 1956, it was classified as Sceloporus undulatus cowlesi, a subspecies of the eastern fence lizard.

Taxonomic Reclassification

Later DNA research led to the southwestern fence lizard being reclassified as a full separate species.

Evolutionary Relationship Research

The cladogram shown below is based on research published by Leaché and Reeder in 2002, and it illustrates the evolutionary relationship of Sceloporus cowlesi to other species in the "Sceloporus undulatus group".