NATURAL HISTORY · CATALOGUE RECORD
Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana Baird & Girard, 1852
Source-backed taxonomic record
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana) is a species of side-blotched lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to dry regions of the western United States and northern Mexico. It is notable for having a unique form of polymorphism wherein each of the three different male morphs utilizes a different strategy in acquiring mates. The three morphs compete against each other following a pattern of rock paper scissors, where one morph has advantages over another but is outcompeted by the third.
Wikipedia contributors, Common side-blotched lizard; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:46:19.232816+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Uta stansburiana Baird & Girard, 1852
- Name authority
- Baird & Girard, 1852
- Common name
- Side-blotched Lizard
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Reptilia
- Order
- Squamata
- Family
- Phrynosomatidae
- Genus
- Uta
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- megaclassTetrapoda
- classReptilia Laurenti, 1768
- orderSquamata Oppel, 1811
- suborderIguania
- familyPhrynosomatidae
- genusUta
- speciesUta stansburiana Baird & Girard, 1852
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Uta. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Dead Side-blotched LizardUta lowei Grismer, 1994 | PhrynosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Isla Santa Catalina Side-blotched LizardUta squamata Dickerson, 1919 | PhrynosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Swollen-nosed Side-blotched LizardUta tumidarostra Grismer, 1994 | PhrynosomatidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Uta stansburiana hesperis Richardson, 1915 Richardson, 1915 | synonym |
| Uta stansburiana klauberi Lowe & Norris, 1955 Lowe & Norris, 1955 | synonym |
| Uta concinna Dickerson, 1919 Dickerson, 1919 | synonym |
| Uta parva Dickerson, 1919 Dickerson, 1919 | synonym |
| Uta mannophorus Dickerson, 1919 Dickerson, 1919 | synonym |
| Uta taylori Smith, 1935 Smith, 1935 | synonym |
| Uta concinnea Dickerson, 1919 Dickerson, 1919 | synonym |
| Uta stansburiana stellata Van Denburgh, 1905 Van Denburgh, 1905 | synonym |
| Uta antiquus Ballinger & Tinkle, 1968 Ballinger & Tinkle, 1968 | synonym |
| Uta stellata Van Denburgh, 1905 Van Denburgh, 1905 | synonym |
| Uta elegans Yarrow, 1882 Yarrow, 1882 | synonym |
Documented distribution
Source distribution statements, not a complete range map. A listed locality is not necessarily a place of origin.
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Uta&species=stansburiana Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:7F3TX. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.