2021, week 16: Local Lizards (by request)

I love cuddly pets, so animals that slither and/or have a, ahem, rough exterior, are generally not my cup of tea. Alas, several weeks ago while I was planning topics for my weekly blog posts the idea was posed that I write about local lizards. I will now acquiesce to that request (guys, I spelled that right on my first try!).

On my mission in Arizona I grew accustomed to the cute, scaly creatures known as lizards. I was okay with them then because I saw them every day. However, when I moved to Saint George, Utah, I had been away from these creatures for a few years. So, my original dislike for scaly creatures was again full force. But let’s look at some of the lizards I might see whilst walking around southern Utah.

First, let’s talk about the Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores). These lizards can be found in the western United States. They like climbing rocky hills, especially if they can climb into little “pockets” to hide from people, but they also like sitting on the rocks and basking in the sun. They eat insects, spiders, some plants, and will even eat other lizards!

Next is the Long-nosed Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii). They love being in the desert! They prefer to stay close to the ground, so you probably won’t see them climbing up hills and rocky places. They like to eat insects, small rodents, spiders, some plants, and sometimes their fellow lizards. And they can camouflage themselves!

Another friend is the Western Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris); there are a few kinds of whiptails. They like living near shrubs and deserts that still have a little vegetation. They’ll eat insects, fellow lizards, scorpions, and spiders.

You know Spike from The Land Before Time? Well, the Desert Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister) is like a mini version of him! They’ve got raised scales and are part of the spiny lizard family. They’re native to eastern and southern Utah. They’ve got some interesting coloration, specifically black marks on either side of their necks. They prefer rocks and trees. They’ll eat insects, other lizards, and plants.

I feel like I’m low-key doing a science report, like in grade school! And let me tell you I’ve had a rough time looking at pictures of our scaly friends. Some you may be uncomfy with pictures but want to read about the different lizards, so I decided to not include any pictures. I hope that’s okay! If you do want to see what these friends look like Google won’t let you down!

Let’s talk about a few more lizard friends.

The Greater Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma hernadesi) are also spiny lizards. They’re nomads, you can find them both in grasslands and in high mountains. Their diet is different from the friends we’ve learned about so far. They’ll eat ants, beetles, grasshoppers, and other invertebrates.

Next is the Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana), another spiny lizard. They’re mostly brown, but on their front legs they’ve got dark blue or black patches. They like to stay close to the ground, enjoying sand and rocky soil. They’ll eat insects and scorpions, but the daddy lizards will also eat baby lizards. 

There you have it. Six types of lizards in Utah. Did you learn anything new? I know I did! I also know that I don't bother trying to distinguish what type of lizard crosses my path as I go to and from school (and I'm okay with that). But I will make more of an effort to say hello to our little lizard friends.

Love,

D. J. Lathrop