A green spiny lizard with rough scales lying on a log. — Photo: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Green Spiny Lizard

Sceloporus malachiticus

A bright green, spiny-scaled lizard of southern Mexico and Central America that gives birth to live young.

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About the Green Spiny Lizard

Green spiny lizards, also called emerald swifts, live in subtropical and tropical forests from Mexico's Yucatan region to Central America. They are active during the day and are carnivores that hunt small animals such as insects.^[1]

Quick facts

Scientific name: Sceloporus malachiticus^[1]
Diet: Carnivore.^[1]
Habitat: Subtropical and tropical forest.^[1]
Where it lives: Mexico's Yucatan region to Central America.^[1]
Group life: Active during the day.^[1]
Babies: 6 to 15 live-born young each year.^[1]
Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2012).^[2]

Fun facts

Green spiny lizards give birth to live babies instead of laying eggs.^[1]
They're also called emerald swifts.^[1]

Vocabulary

ovoviviparous: Making eggs that hatch inside the mother, so the babies are born alive.
keeled scale: A scale with a ridge down the middle that feels rough or spiny.
diurnal: Active mainly during the day.
carnivore: An animal that eats mostly meat.
least concern: A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.

See it in person

Oakland ZooOakland, California · Reptile and Amphibian Discovery RoomSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗

These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.

Sources

[1] Oakland Zoo. “Green Spiny Lizard.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/green-spiny-lizard/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
[2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Sceloporus malachiticus (Green Spiny Lizard).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/203072/95305274 (accessed 2026-10-02)

Facts last checked 2026-10-02.

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