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| The Eastern Collared Lizard, Crotaphytus collaris Say, 1823. Photographs of Arizona specimens. Adult body lengths to 116 mm. Collard Lizards are fast, running bipedal across grassland and rocks. They range from central Missouri westward to Utah and Arizona and southward into central Mexico. There is at least one population east of the Mississippi River in southern Illinois. Females are marked with red lateral spots when they are fertile (see second photo) and the red spots fade after the eggs (up to 14) have been deposited. They tend to eat larger insects, occasionally take small vertebrates and plant matter. |
| Crotaphanids are North American lizards that form two genera and 12 species and are distributed in the western USA from Oregon to the Mississippi River and southward into northern Mexico, and Baja California. Although there may be at least one population east of the Mississippi. All lay eggs, and the females have bright red or orange spots when they are carrying eggs. They are diurnal and feed mostly upon insects and small vertebrates. They range in size from 80-115 mm and prefer rocky habitats (Collard Lizards), with some species (Leopard Lizards) using flat grasslands or sandy areas. When running, they are usually bipedal. |