How to identify it
Two black collars around the neck enclosing a lighter collar; olive-brown to gray body with many lighter spots that continue onto the tail in a reticulated pattern; white or light belly (NDOW). [1][2][3]
No black pigment lining the mouth, unlike C. collaris (NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Adult males: strongly laterally compressed tail with a pale white dorsal stripe, enlarged dark inguinal patches, and a pale, patternless top of the head (NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Gravid females have orange spots on the sides (NDOW). [1][2][3]
Compared with the eastern collared lizard: Eastern collared lizard has a black-lined mouth; Great Basin lacks oral melanin (NatureServe; CPW). [1][2][3]
Compared with the baja california collared lizard: Baja California collared lizard has widely separated posterior collars and slender white transverse dorsal bars (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.
- Eastern collared lizard · Crotaphytus collaris
- Baja California collared lizard · Crotaphytus vestigium
Where it lives
Xeric, sparsely vegetated rocky areas: hillsides, rocky plains and canyons; sometimes adjacent areas with little rock (NDOW; NatureServe). [1][2][3]
How it behaves
Perches on rocks; when startled hides under rocks or in rodent burrows; very fast and can run on hind legs alone (NDOW). [1][2][3]
Breeding males are territorial, bobbing from a rock and extending a blue and black throat dewlap (NDOW). [1][2][3]
Eats insects, spiders, other lizards and some plant material (NDOW; NatureServe). [1][2][3]
Inactive in cold winter weather; activity begins as early as March in Arizona (NatureServe). [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
- California — reptile take · 2026 California Freshwater Sport Fishing Regulations (updated July 10, 2026), 14 CCR 5.05/5.60
- Nevada — reptile take · CR 24-15 2025 & 2026 Seasons & Limits for Noncommercial Collection of Live, Unprotected Reptiles & Amphibians
- 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 Oregon and southern Idaho south through northeastern California, Nevada, and western and central Utah to southeastern California and western Arizona (NatureServe).
Sources
Every claim above is attributed to one of these published sources.
NatureServe · reviewed 2026-09-30
NatureServe
- BIOLOGICALGreat Basin Collared Lizard
Nevada Department of Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
Nevada Department of Wildlife
- BIOLOGICALEastern Collared Lizard
Colorado Parks and Wildlife · reviewed 2026-09-30
Colorado Parks and Wildlife