Great Basin Naturalist

Volume 56 Number 4 Article 14

11-21-1996

Diurnal aboveground activity by the fossorial silvery , Anniella pulchra

David J. Germano California State University, Bakersfield, California

David J. Morafka California State University, Dominquez Hills, Carson, California

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Recommended Citation Germano, David J. and Morafka, David J. (1996) "Diurnal aboveground activity by the fossorial silvery legless lizard, Anniella pulchra," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 56 : No. 4 , Article 14. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol56/iss4/14

This Note is brought to you for free and open access by the Western North American Naturalist Publications at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Great Basin Naturalist by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. c....t Basin Naturnlist 56(4), @ 1996, pp. 379-380

DIURNAL ABOVEGROUND ACTIVITY BY THE FOSSORIAL SILVERY LEGLESS LIZARD, ANNIELIA PULCHRA

David J. Germanol and David J. Moralka2

Key words: octivity, lizards, Anniella, California, , behavior.

Annielk pu1chra is a limbless, fossoriallizard. which it probably was crossing when we saw it. This occurs from Antioch, California, Unfortunately, we ran over the lizard with our to northern Baja California, and is often found vehicle and were not able to watch its move­ on dune formations and in sandy habitats where ment after we found it. We salvaged the body it typically can be captured by raking the soil and deposited it in the museum ofthe California under bushes (Miller 1944). Itcan also be found Academy of Science (specimen #CAS201173, in several low, coastal mountain ranges (Steb­ taken under California Department ofFish and bins 1985), and its range extends into the San Garne permit #1111). Besides the injuries we Joaquin Valley and to the edge of the Sonoran inflicted on the specimen, there were no other in eastern San Diego County (Klauber signs of injury or obvious infestations by para­ 1932, Jennings and Hayes 1994). It seems to sites. This is the first observation we know of prefer moist soils (Miller 1944) where it is able showing that A. pulchra sometimes makes above­ to drink (Fusari 1985). Because of its rossorial ground movements during the day. habit, A. pulchra is rarely found moving above­ Midday aboveground activity of A. plllchm ground, but it sometimes can be found on the appears to be a rare behavior. It is possible that surface at dusk or in the evening (Stebbins this lizard has narrow physiological tolerances 1985). Here we report the previously unrecorded that often prevent surface activity, particularly finding of a single A. pulchra moving above­ in full sun. A. pulchm has a lower preferred body ground during the middle ofthe day. temperature than most other lizards (Bury and On 27 April 1995 we were driving on Balgooyen 1976), and its requirement for moist Crocker Springs Road heading northeast over soil and free water has been known for almost the southern end of the Temblor Mountains. a century (Coe and Kunkel 1907). We found This road is unpaved over the Temblors, and this lizard active at an air temperature ofabout we found 1 A. pukhra on a hard-packed sec­ 24'C, which is consistent with its preferred tion of the road. The location was at 769 m therrnal range of24-25'C (Bury and Balgooyen (2500 ft) in San Luis Obispo County, approxi­ 1976). Limited surface activity, especially away mately 1.5 km west of the county boundary from plant cover, may also be due to predator with Kern County. The lizard, an adult male 140 avoidance. Because limbless lizards are adapted mm snout-vent length (217 mm total length), for burrowing, their ability to move qUickly was found at approximately 1425 h. aboveground is limited (Gans 1975). TIlese phys­ The day was partly cloudy and the air tem­ iological and behavioral constraints likely limit perature when the lizard was found was about the aboveground activity ofA. pu1chra to short 24'C. Although the road is not steeply inclined durations and distances. at the location, the surrounding topography traversed by this section of the road is a steep LITERATURE CITED hillside of about a 45-degree slope. Dominant vegetation on the hillside is alkali goldenbush BUllY, R. B., AND T. G. BALGOOYEN. 1976. Temperature (Haplopappus acradeniw;), and no sandy soil selectivity in the legless lizard, AnnieUa pulchrn. Copeia 1976, 152-155. occurs near the location where we found the COE. W ft., AND B. W. KUNKEL. 1907. Studies of the Cali· lizard. The lizard was stretched out on the road, Cornia limbless lizard, AnnielIa.. Transactions of the

lDepll'tment ofBiology, ~ifomia Sate Univerrity, Bakerrlield, CA 93311. :lOepartment of Biology, ~ikwnia State Uni\-ertity, Dominguez H!lls. ~l"$(ln. CA 110747.

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Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences 12: KUl}BER, L. M. 1932. Notes on the silvery footless lizard, 349-403 + plates. ArmieUa pu/.chra. Copeia 1932: 4--6. Fus....ro, M. H. 1985. Drinking ofsoil water by the Califor· MILLER, C. M. 1944. Ecologic relations and adaptations of nia legless lizard, AnnieUa pukhra. Copeia 1985: the Hmbless lizards of the genus Anniella. Ecological 98[-986. Monographs 14; 271-289. CANS, C. 1975. limblessness: evolution and func· STEBBINS, R. C. 1985. A field guide to western reptiles and tiona! correlates. American Zoologist 15; 455-467. , Houghton Miffiin Company, Boston, JENNr~GS, M. Ro, AND M. P. HAYES. 1994. and MA. 336 pp. species of special concern in California. Cali­ fornia Department of Fish and Came, Sacramento. Received 11 March 1996 255 pp. Accepred 14 June 1996