How to identify it
Two incomplete black or dark brown collars across a narrow neck; large head, sometimes bright yellow; long tail (CPW; MDC). [1][2][3]
Turquoise to green or brown back with many small light spots and dark bands; to about 36 cm (14 in) (CPW; MDC). [1][2][3]
Breeding males most colourful, with turquoise and yellow scales; throat dark-spotted or yellow to orange (CPW). [1][2][3]
Breeding females have orange-red bars or spots on the sides of the body and neck; juveniles have wide dark bands or large dark spots (CPW). [1][2][3]
Adult males lack dark pigment in the gular fold, and the mouth lining is usually black (NatureServe; CPW). [1][2][3]
Compared with the great basin collared lizard: Great Basin lacks the black mouth lining and males have a compressed tail with a pale dorsal stripe (NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Species it is confused with
Check these before deciding what you are looking at. If you are not certain what it is, do not shoot.
- Great Basin collared lizard · Crotaphytus bicinctores
Where it lives
Rocky areas with sparse vegetation: canyons, gullies, slopes, mesa tops and dry glades; often basks on boulders (CPW; MDC; NatureServe). [1][2][3]
How it behaves
Diurnal; basks on boulders, hides under large rocks or in crevices when approached, and may run on its hind limbs (MDC). [1][2][3]
Males defend territories; in Oklahoma about 6.4 dominant males per hectare (MDC; NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Eats insects, spiders, other lizards and small snakes, occasionally plant material (MDC; NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Active about March or April to October in the north; overwinters in burrows under large rocks (NatureServe; MDC). [1][2][3]
Limited legal take
Legal take of this species exists only under narrow conditions — a quota, a draw, a permit, a small area, or animals released or held on private land — set by the authorities below. Nowhere else is a legal opportunity implied, and Hunt shows one only where a certified rule establishes it.
Where legal take is listed
- Utah — reptile take · Reptile and amphibian species classification tables (R657-53), updated Apr. 22, 2026
Being listed is not an open season. Seasons, zones, licences, methods and limits decide whether this animal may be taken on a given day and place — check Hunt or the authority before you go. Listings read 2026-09-30.
Where it is found
Southeastern Utah, southern Colorado, Kansas and central and southern Missouri south through Arizona, New Mexico, western and central Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas into northern Mexico; Louisiana records may not be natural (NatureServe). Missouri populations north of the Missouri River appear introduced (MDC).
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
- BIOLOGICALEastern Collared Lizard
Colorado Parks and Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
Colorado Parks and Wildlife
- BIOLOGICALEastern Collared Lizard
Missouri Department of Conservation · reviewed 2026-09-30
Missouri Department of Conservation