THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY

Reptilia    Squamata (part)    Xantusiidae  

Island Night Lizard
Xantusia riversiana Cope, 1883
zan-two-ZEE-uh — riv-er-SEE-ann-ah

SSAR 9th Edition Comments:
 The taxonomic distinction between populations of X. riversiana on San Nicolas Island (X. r. riversiana) and those on San Clemente and Santa Barbara Islands (X. r. reticulata) has been supported by analyses of both DNA sequences (Noonan et al., 2013, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69: 109–122) and morphology (Adams et al., 2018, Copeia 106: 550–562; Grismer et al., 2022, Vertebrate Zoology 7: 1–27).

Range maps are based on curated specimens and provided gratis by CNAH.
(Created by Travis W. Taggart; Version: 2023.04.10.13.42.07)
Download GeoJSON polygon range file: - 0

Province/State Distribution:
USA: California

First instance(s) of published English names:
Island Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana: Van Denburgh, John. 1897. The reptiles of the Pacific Coast and Great Basin: An account of the species known to inhabit California, and Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Nevada. Occasional Papers of the California Academy of Sciences 5():9-236);

Taxon Links:

  
Catalog of American Amphibians and Reptiles
  
The Reptile Database
  
NatureServe
  
iNaturalist
  
GenBank
  
USGS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database

Selected References:
1883 Cope, Edward D. Notes on the geographical distribution of Batrachia and Reptilia in western North America. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 35:10-35
1986 Crother, Brian I., Michael M. Miyamoto, and William F. Presch. Phylogeny and biogeography of the lizard family Xantusiidae. Systematic Zoology 35(1):37-45
1991 Fellers, Gary M. and Drost, Charles A. Xantusia riversiana Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles (518):1-4
2013 Noonan, Brice P., Jennifer B. Pramuk, Robert L. Bezy, Elizabeth A. Sinclair, Kevin de Queiroz, and Jack W. Sites, Jr. Phylogenetic relationships within the lizard clade Xantusiidae: Using trees and divergence times to address evolutionary questions at multiple levels Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 69(2013):109-122

THE CENTER FOR NORTH AMERICAN HERPETOLOGY — Accessed: Friday 13 June 2025 05:07 CT