Family: Crotaphytidae, Collared and Leopard Lizards view all from this family

Description 8-14" (20-35.6 cm). Large head; conspicuous black-and-white collar across back of neck. Inside of mouth dark. Tail not flattened laterally. Yellow-brown to green with bluish highlights and usually light spots and dark bands. Mature male has blue-green or orange throat without black center seen in Desert Collared Lizard. Gravid female has red-orange spots and bars on sides. Young show alternating dark and light crossbanding.

Warning Collared lizards have powerful jaws that can inflict a painful bite if the lizard is handled improperly.

Breeding Mates April to June; lays 1-12 eggs in midsummer. Hatchlings are about 3 1/2" (8.9 cm) long.

Habitat Hardwood forests to arid areas with large rocks for basking. More frequent in hilly regions, especially among limestone ledges that provide crevices for good cover.

Range E. Utah and Colorado to extreme sw. Illinois, south through c. Texas, into Mexico and west into much of Arizona.

Discussion Diurnal. A wary, feisty lizard that will bite readily and hard, given the chance. It feeds on insects and other lizards. When fleeing would-be captors, it lifts body and tail and dashes along on its hind legs, giving it the appearance of a fierce little dinosaur.