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Mearns' rock lizard

Petrosaurus mearnsi · Lizards · Reptiles

Mearns' rock lizard (Petrosaurus mearnsi). This profile does not establish whether taking it is legal anywhere.

Check rules for a place and date

Certified rules currently represented in Hunt: coverage in development. This is coverage, not a legal answer.

Scientific name
Petrosaurus mearnsi
Family
Phrynosomatidae
In North America
Native
Range
From San Gorgonio Pass (Riverside County, California) south through the Peninsular Ranges to at least Bahia de los Angeles in Baja California, plus some Gulf of California islands; in the US limited to eastern San Diego and central Riverside counties, to about 1,200 m.
Field knowledge

Where it lives

Most abundant among massive rocks: cliffs, boulder piles and canyon walls in shaded, narrow parts of desert-slope canyons, and desert washes and palm oases. [1][2]

Rarely found on open ground; shelters in rock cracks and crevices. [1][2]

Field knowledge

How it behaves

Diurnal; shuttles between sun and shade, active all day even in hot weather, from about mid-March to late summer. [1][2]

Forages on vertical and under-rock surfaces; eats beetles, ants, bees, flies, spiders and some buds and blossoms. [1][2]

Males defend territories (tolerating subadult males); females defend against other females; home ranges about 85 m2 (males) and 40 m2 (females) in one study. [1][2]

Lays 2-6 eggs, June-August. [1][2]

Regulatory handoff

Limited legal take

Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.

Where legal take is listed

Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.

Geospatial intelligence

Where it is found

From San Gorgonio Pass (Riverside County, California) south through the Peninsular Ranges to at least Bahia de los Angeles in Baja California, plus some Gulf of California islands; in the US limited to eastern San Diego and central Riverside counties, to about 1,200 m.

Biology

Sources

Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.

  1. NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30

    NatureServe

  2. California Department of Fish and Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30

    California Department of Fish and Wildlife