Leapin' Lizards
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When you first see one of these collared lizards, you may mistake it for a colorful child's toy.
Crotaphytus collaris
When approached, collared lizards tend to remain motionless, but their bright colors stand out in the surrounding desert landscape betraying their presence. If you get too close, they may flee, running only on their hind legs that move so rapidly, they appear as spinning wheels as the creature races away. While hiking along the base of the Colorado National Monument, we often see these brightly colored males sunning themselves. The black bands around their neck appear as a collar, hence the common name.
These lizards may grow 10 - 16 inches. Their strong jaws allow them to feed mostly on other varieties of lizards, insects and small rodents. They are known to have a voracious appetite. Their preferred daytime temperature range is the mid 80's to low 90's making them perfectly suited to our desert environment. We happened upon this nicely colored male one day who obligingly struck a nice pose for us upon this rock.
Photo taken May, 2009