Latin Etymology: Sceloporus ("leg pore") malachiticus ("malachite green")
Adult male Emerald Swift (Sceloporus malachiticus) at San Gerardo de Dota, Costa Rica - November 2025
Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: ? / Length: 15-20cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Least Concern
A small and distinctively thorny looking lizard that specialises in upland elevations and in Costa Rica can be found at 2500m in cloud forests where they seemed to favour basking on rocky outcrops as well as man made habitats. They are found in the exotic pet trade but this isn't considered a major threat to them currently.
Related Species:
Order: Squamata
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Sceloporus
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic
- Sighting Locations -
A common inhabitant of high elevations
- COSTA RICA 2025 TRIP: Seen at San Gerardo de Dota
Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
.