The Great Basin Collared Lizard has two conspicuous black collars on the neck interrupted by a white band. The anterior collar goes all the way around the neck. In males, the throat is slate grey to bluish with a black patch in the center. The males have alternating crossbands of grey and pink or orange and a pale dorsal stripe on the tail. Females are duller than the male, greyish brown in color and they lack the tail stripe. Gravid (pregnant) females have orange spots along the sides and immature males often show the orange coloration to avoid conflicts with mature males.
Ten Facts about Collared Lizard
- The Great Basin Desert from Se Organ and SW Idaho southward through Nevada and Utah, the Mojave Desert of Nevada, Arizona and California, and the Sonoran Desert of Western Arizona and SE Caliifornia mainly north of the Gila River.
- Rocky, hilly terrain and washes and canyons with large rocks used for protection and lookout sites.
- Collared Lizards are members of the large family Iguanidae and the Subfamily Crotaphytinae which, besides the Collared Lizards, only includes the Leopard Lizards.
- The tail does not detach easily and does not grow back as in other lizards of this family.
- They are one of the few lizards in the desert which are able to run on the two hind legs only. This is known as bipedal locomotion.
- Great Basin Collared Lizards mate in May or June and the female lays from 3 to 7 eggs in summer in sandy soils.
- A large adult measures about 13 inches overall.
- They can live for more than 10 years if cared for properly.
- Collared lizards dine on insects, Crickets, roaches, super worms, horned worms and silkworms.
- Collared lizards are probably eaten by Masticophis, avian predators, and perhaps mammalian predators.
