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Photo by P. Dotson
Photo Courtesy of Utah Division of Wildlife Resources
Eastern Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus collaris
NatureServe conservation status
Global (G-rank): G5
State (S-rank): S4
External links
General information
The eastern collared lizard, Crotaphytus collaris, is native to much of the central and southwestern United States, as well as to northern Mexico. In Utah, the species occurs in the southeastern area of the state, where it is common and abundant.
The eastern collared lizard eats lizards, insects, and plant matter. When chasing prey, eastern collared lizards often run on their hind legs, with their front legs and tail raised off of the ground. Females lay one or two clutches of four to eleven eggs during June. Eggs are laid under large rocks or in rodent burrows, and they hatch in about two months. The eastern collared lizard prefers rocky areas with sparse vegetation, and is inactive during cold times of the year.
Phenology
Active March or April to October in north; lizards active in fall are mostly hatchlings (Hammerson 1999). The active season lasts several weeks longer in south than it does in the north.
Species range
Breeding documented from extreme southwestern Utah to central-eastern Utah (Schwinn and Minden 1979).
Migration
In Kansas, males maintained home ranges averaging about 0.4 ha and spent most of their time in just a small portion of this area (Yedlin and Ferguson 1973). In Oklahoma, 14 adult males had home range areas averaging 1,865 sq m (core = 441 sq m) (Stone and Baird 2002).
Habitat
The habitat consists of rocky areas with sparse vegetation and encompasses open woodlands, bunchgrass areas, canyons, gullies, slopes, and mesa tops (Degenhardt et al. 1996, McGuire 1996, Bartlett and Bartlett 1999, Hammerson 1999, Johnson 2000, Stebbins 2003, Trauth et al. 2004). When inactive, these lizards hide under rocks or in crevices. Eggs are laid under large rocks or in burrows (Collins 1982).
Food habits
Eats insects, lizards, and occasionally plant material (Stebbins 1985).
Ecology
In Oklahoma, density was 6.4 dominant males per ha; including subordinate males, density was 17.2 males per ha (Stone and Baird 2002).
Reproductive characteristics
Eggs laying occurs in June-July in Kansas, mainly May-June in west-central Texas. Clutch size usually is 4-11. IReproductive females produce a single clutch annually in the northern part of the range, often 2 clutches in the south. Young-of-year first appear in early August in Missouri (Copeia 1992:968-990) and Colorado (Hammerson 1999). Individuals become sexually mature in their 1st or 2nd year (1st year in areas with long growing season). In Oklahoma, males established all-purpose territories (and presumably became reproductively active) when they were two years old (Stome and Baird 2002).
Threats or limiting factors
No major threats have been identified.
References
- Biotics Database. 2005. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, NatureServe, and the network of Natural Heritage Programs and Conservation Data Centers.
- Stebbins, R. C. 1985. A field guide to western reptiles and amphibians. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 336 pp.
