Sunbathing With My Gal
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The ‘Collared lizard,” (Crotaphytus collaris) is a frequently seen resident often found at the base of the Colorado National Monument.
They feed on insects like crickets and grasshoppers, other lizards, and smaller rodents, and prefer our desert temperatures. Their favored living and resting areas are around rock piles. They live an average of 5 – 8 years. The males are more brightly colored.
Females develop bright red splotches on their body when they are carrying eggs which then disappear once the eggs are laid. They may lay from 1 to 13 eggs in the early summer. Once the eggs hatch, the parents do not nurture or protect the young hatchlings.
We found this male-female pair one day while hiking in the Monument. They were warming themselves in the sun on a cooler, early summer morning. They made such a cute couple, we had to stop and photograph them. They reminded us of two kids heading for a day at the sunny beach, hence the title.
Photo taken June, 2017