Great Basin collared lizard

Crotaphytus bicinctores
Crotaphytus bicintores
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Sauropsida
Order: Squamata
Family: Crotaphytidae
Genus: Crotaphytus
Species: C. bicinctores
Binomial name
Crotaphytus bicinctores
Smith & Tanner, 1972
DesertCollardLizard

The Great Basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores), also known as the desert collared lizard or the Mohave black collared lizard is a species of lizard of the Western United States. It is very similar to the common collared lizard, Crotaphytus collaris, in shape and size, but it lacks the bright extravagant colors. Males can be brown to orange and some red or pink on the belly. Females are more black or dark brown. C. bicintores have elongated scales near the nails and their tail is more triangular in shape than round as with C. collaris.[1]

Description

This species has a broad-head, large rear legs, and derives its name from a pair of black bands on the neck. Males have broader heads than the females, with a dark colored throat and more pronounced orange crossbands on the body. Adults range in size from 2.5 - 4.5 inches long snout to vent, with a thick tail that is often twice as long as the body.[2]

Range, habitat, and diet

The Great Basin collared lizard is endemic to the United States, and is found in California, most of Nevada, southeast Oregon, southern Idaho, and the western regions of Utah and Arizona. It is usually found in rocky regions of arid deserts, and is most common in desert scrub and desert wash habitats. It is widely distributed throughout the Mojave, Sonoran, and southeastern Great Basin deserts. [1][2]

C. bicinctores eats primarily arthropods, but will also use its powerful jaws to eat small vertebrates including lizards, snakes, and rodents. These lizards have been known to occasionally consume plant matter.[2][3]

Notes

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  1. 1 2 Stebbins, Robert Cyril (2003). A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. pp. 272–273. ISBN 0-395-98272-3.
  2. 1 2 3 "California Herps". Retrieved 19 August 2015.
  3. ↑ Kucera, T. (1998). "Life history account for Great Basin Collared Lizard". California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
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