Introductory Remarks.
The first contribution to the herpetology of the islands of the Pacific Coast of North America of which I have knowledge was, curiously enough, a description of the lizard of Socorro, an island perhaps the least accessible of them all. This description was published by Professor Cope in 1871. Six years later Dr. Streets recorded a few notes on the fauna of Cerros, San Martin, and Los Coronados. Since that time there have appeared at intervals contributions from Yarrow, Belding, Cope, Garman, Townsend, Stejneger, and Van Denburgh, resulting in the gradual accumulation of a considerable fund of knowledge. The papers in which this information is contained are so widely scattered through journals and the publications of various societies and museums as to be but little available. It has, therefore, been thought expedient to review the whole subject while reporting upon the material which in the last few years has been accumulating in the collection of the Academy.
In this paper there are mentioned or described twenty-nine species and subspecies, representing the fauna of eighteen islands. Of these four are amphibians, nineteen are lizards, and six are snakes.
The following forms are here described as new:—
- Autodax lugubris farallonensis, South Farallon Island,
- Uta martinensis, San Martin Island,
- Uta stellata, San Benito Island,
- Sceloporus becki, San Miguel Island,
- Gerrhonotus scincicauda ignavus, San Martin Island.
The island distribution of the various species and subspecies is indicated in the following table:
Distribution of Island Reptiles and Amphibians.
Table Key:
- Farallon
- San Miguel
- Santa Rosa
- Santa Cruz
- Ana Capa
- San Nicolas
- Santa Barbara
- Santa Catalina
- San Clemente
- Los Coronados
- San Martin
- San Benito
- Cerros
- Natividad
- Magdalena
- Santa Margarita
- Socorro
- Clarion
- Mainland
| Name | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autodax lugubris farallonensis | X | ||||||||
| Batrachoseps attenuatus | X | ||||||||
| Batrachoseps pacificus | X | X | |||||||
| Hyla regilla | X | ||||||||
| Dipsosaurus dorsalis | |||||||||
| Callisaurus ventralis | |||||||||
| Crotaphytus wislizenii | |||||||||
| Uta stansburiana | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Uta martinensis | |||||||||
| Uta stellata | |||||||||
| Uta nigricauda | |||||||||
| Uta auriculata | |||||||||
| Uta clarionensis | |||||||||
| Sceloporus zosteromus | |||||||||
| Sceloporus becki | X | ||||||||
| Sceloporus biseriatus becki | X | X | |||||||
| Phrynosoma cerroense | |||||||||
| Gerrhonotus scincicauda | X | X | X | ||||||
| Gerrhonotus scincicauda ignavus | |||||||||
| Xantusia riversiana | X | X | X | X | |||||
| Verticaria hyperythra beldingi | |||||||||
| Cnemidophorus rubidus | |||||||||
| Cnemidophorus multiscutatus | |||||||||
| Cnemidophorus labialis | |||||||||
| Bascanion anthonyi | |||||||||
| Bascanion laterale fuliginosum | |||||||||
| Pituophis catenifer | |||||||||
| Crotalus exsul | |||||||||
| Crotalus oregonus | X | ||||||||
| Crotalus mitchellii |
| Name | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Autodax lugubris farallonensis | ||||||||||
| Batrachoseps attenuatus | X | |||||||||
| Batrachoseps pacificus | ? | |||||||||
| Hyla regilla | X | X | ||||||||
| Dipsosaurus dorsalis | X | X | ||||||||
| Callisaurus ventralis | X | X | ||||||||
| Crotaphytus wislizenii | X | X | ||||||||
| Uta stansburiana | X | X | X | |||||||
| Uta martinensis | X | |||||||||
| Uta stellata | X | |||||||||
| Uta nigricauda | X | X | ||||||||
| Uta auriculata | X | |||||||||
| Uta clarionensis | X | |||||||||
| Sceloporus zosteromus | X | X | X | X | ||||||
| Sceloporus becki | ||||||||||
| Sceloporus biseriatus becki | ||||||||||
| Phrynosoma cerroense | X | |||||||||
| Gerrhonotus scincicauda | X | |||||||||
| Gerrhonotus scincicauda ignavus | ? | X | X | |||||||
| Xantusia riversiana | ||||||||||
| Verticaria hyperythra beldingi | X | X | X | |||||||
| Cnemidophorus rubidus | X | X | X | |||||||
| Cnemidophorus multiscutatus | X | |||||||||
| Cnemidophorus labialis | X | |||||||||
| Bascanion anthonyi | X | |||||||||
| Bascanion laterale fuliginosum | X | |||||||||
| Pituophis catenifer | X | X | ||||||||
| Crotalus exsul | X | |||||||||
| Crotalus oregonus | X | X | ||||||||
| Crotalus mitchellii | X | X |
Little can be stated about the faunal relationships of the various islands beyond the fact that all except, probably, the Farallons are clearly Sonoran. Of the island reptiles, only fourteen are not known to live on the mainland. These are
- Autodax lugubris farallonensis,
- Batrachoseps pacificus,
- Uta martinensis,
- Uta stellata,
- Uta auriculata,
- Uta clarionensis,
- Sceloporus becki,
- Phrynosoma cerroense,
- Xantusia riversiana,
- Cnemidophorus multiscutatus,
- Cnemidophorus labialis,
- Bascanion anthonyi,
- Bascanion laterale fuliginosum,
- Crotalus exsul.
Although the evidence is thus too meager to enable one to speak positively, it would seem that the probable faunal relationship is about as follows:
Transition Zone.
Pacific Fauna:
Farallon Islands.
Upper Austral Zone.
Californian Fauna:
San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Ana Capa.
San Diegan Fauna:
San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, San Clemente.
Los Coronados, San Martin.
Perhaps San Benito, Cerros, Natividad.
Lower Austral Zone.
Perhaps San Benito, Cerros, Natividad.
Magdalena, Santa Margarita.
Socorro, Clarion.