Urosaurus ornatus, commonly known as the ornate tree lizard, is a species of lizard in the familyPhrynosomatidae. The species is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species, which was formerly called simply the "tree lizard", has been used to study physiological changes during the fight-or-flight response as related to stress and aggressive competition.[3][4] Its life history and costs of reproduction have been documented in field populations in New Mexico and Arizona.[5][6] This species has been fairly well studied because of its interesting variation in throat color in males (within a population) that can correlate with different reproductive strategies,[7][8]
^"Urosaurus ornatus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
^Matt KS, Moore MC, Knapp R, Moore IT (1997). "Sympathetic mediation of stress and aggressive competition: plasma catecholamines in free-living male tree lizards". Physiology and Behavior. 61 (5): 639–647. doi:10.1016/S0031-9384(96)00500-8. PMID9145930. S2CID40870214.
^Jennings DH, Moore MC, Knapp R, Matthews L, Orchinik M (2000). "Plasma steroid-binding globulins mediate stress reactivity in the tree lizard, Urosaurus ornatus ". General and Comparative Endocrinology120: 289-299.
^French SS, Moore MC (2008). "Immune function varies with reproductive stage and context in female and male tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus ". General and Comparative Endocrinology155 (1): 148-156.
^Hews DK, Thompson CW, Moore IT, Moore MC (1997). "Population frequencies of alternative male phenotypes in tree lizards: geographic variation and common-garden rearing studies". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology41: 371-380.
^Moore MC, Hews DK, Knapp R (1998). "Hormonal control and evolution of alternative male phenotypes: generalizations of models for sexual differentiation". American Zoologist38: 133-151.