General Description: Common Zebra-tailed Lizards (Callisaurus draconoides) are fast, light-colored lizards found in open sandy and open gravel areas such as washes. The tail is black-and-white banded, and the bands fully encircle the tail. Zebra-tailed Lizards often curl their tail up over their back and wave it in the air as if to attract attention.

Male Zebra-tailed Lizards have a pair of dark bars on their sides that extend to their bellies. Females may have the dark bars, but if so, they are faint. During breeding season, males acquire a yellow wash overall and blue on the belly. Females acquire a yellow wash on the lower sides and orange spots in the armpit, but they lack blue patches on the belly. Males also develop an orange dewlap.

Taxonomy: Phrynosomatid Lizard Family.

Technical Description: Light-colored lizards to about 8 in. (20 cm) total length. The overall color is tan to light brown with two dark bars on the side of body near mid-body. The tail has black bands that completely encircle the tail (compare to earless lizards). The head is wedge-shaped, and the scales are fine and smooth. Zebra-tails have external ear openings present (compare with earless lizards). In breeding season, Zebra-tails get a yellow wash with a bit of orange on the dewlap.

Zebra-tails look similar to Earless Lizards (which occur in Arizona). In Zebra-tails, the black bands completely encircle the tail, while in earless lizards, the black bands are on the underside of the trail. Zebra-tails also have external ear openings, which earless lizards do not.

Diet: Carnivorous, eating mostly insects, spiders (arthropods in general), some plant material, and occasionally other lizards.

Habitat: Washes, sandy areas, and open gravel flats with few plants where they can escape predators by digging into the sand and then dating quickly away when necessary.

Range: Southern and western Nevada, southeastern California, southern Arizona, and northern Mexico. Look for Zebra-tails at Death Valley NP, Lake Mead NRA and in southern Gold Butte National Monument.

Comments: These lizards often curl their tail upward (revealing bold black and white barring) and wave it side-to-side before running. Also holds tail up when running. Curling the tail up may cause predators to attack their tail, which comes off, allowing the lizard to escape.