About Callisaurus draconoides Blainville, 1835
Snout-to-Vent Length
Zebra-tailed lizards (Callisaurus draconoides Blainville, 1835) range from 2.5 to 4 inches (64 to 102 mm) in snout-to-vent length (SVL).
Dorsal Coloration
Their base body color is grey to sandy brown, and they usually have a series of paired dark gray spots running down the back, which become black crossbands on the tail.
Underside of Tail
The underside of the tail is white with black crossbars.
Male Markings
Males have a pair of black blotches on their sides, which extend to blue patches on their bellies.
Female Markings
Females have no blue belly patches, and their black side bars are either faint or completely absent.
Habitat Type
Zebra-tailed lizards live in open desert areas with hard-packed soil, scattered vegetation, and scattered rocks, most commonly on flats, in washes, and on plains.
Geographic Range
They are common and widely distributed throughout the Southwestern United States, with a range that extends from the Mojave and Colorado deserts north into the southern Great Basin.
Egg Clutch Size and Hatching Period
During summer, zebra-tailed lizards typically lay clutches of two to eight eggs, which hatch between July and November.
Breeding Season Clutch Frequency
A single female can lay more than one clutch in a single breeding season.
Egg Laying Substrate
Eggs are thought to be laid in friable, sandy soil.
Reproductive Rate Rationale
Since they are a prey species for many animals, including birds, other lizards, and mammals, they have a fairly high reproductive rate.
