Lizards of the American Southwest

Below is a list of the currently recognized species and subspecies of Lizards that occur in the region we have defined as being the American Southwest.

To help maintain some degree of taxonomic stability and reduce confusion, the managers of SWCHR have elected to take a conservative taxonomic approach when deciding which scientific and common names to utilize in our species listings. Please click here for an explanation of our philosophy regarding taxonomic issues.

The SWCHR Range Maps used in this section were generated using a variety of current sources and are designed to indicate the general range of the species indicated on the maps.

We invite you, our visitors, to submit high quality photographs for consideration to be included in our species accounts. Please include the scientific name of the specimen, your name and the state and county where the specimen was photographed.

ANGUIDAE – Glass Lizards and Alligator Lizards
Elgaria coerulea coerulea – San Francisco Alligator Lizard
Elgaria coerulea palmeri – Sierra Alligator Lizard
Elgaria coerulea shastensis – Shasta Alligator Lizard
Elgaria kingii nobilis – Arizona Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata – California Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata scinicauda – Oregon Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata webbii – San Diego Alligator Lizard
Elgaria panamintina – Panamint Alligator Lizard
Gerrhonotus infernalis – Texas Alligator Lizard
Ophisaurus attenuatus attenuatus – Western Slender Glass Lizard

ANNIELLIDAE  – Legless Lizards
Anniella pulchra – California Legless Lizard

CROTAPHYTIDAE – Collared Lizards and Leopard Lizards
Crotaphytus bicinctores – Great Basin Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus collaris – Eastern Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus nebrius – Sonoran Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus reticulatus – Reticulate Collared Lizard
Crotaphytus vestigium – Baja California Collared Lizard
Gambelia copeii – Cope’s Leopard Lizard
Gambelia sila – Blunt-nosed Leopard Lizard
Gambelia wislizenii– Long-nosed Leopard Lizard

GEKKONIDAE – Geckos
Coleonyx brevis – Texas Banded Gecko
Coleonyx reticulatus – Reticulated Gecko
Coleonyx switaki switaki – Peninsular Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus variegatus – Desert Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus abbotti – San Diego Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus bogerti – Tucson Banded Gecko
Coleonyx variegatus utahensis – Utah Banded Gecko
Cryptopodion scabrum – Rough-tailed Gecko (Introduced Species)
Hemidactylus frenatus – Common House Gecko (Introduced Species)
Hemidactylus garnotii – Indo-Pacific House Gecko (Introduced Species)
Hemidactylus turcicus – Mediterranean Gecko (Introduced Species)
Phyllodactylus nocticolis – Peninsular Leaf-toed Gecko

HELODERMATIDAE – Gila Monsters
Heloderma suspectum suspectum – Reticulate Gila Monster
Heloderma suspectum cinctum – Banded Gila Monster

IGUANIDAE – Iguanas and Chuckwallas
Dipsosaurus dorsalis dorsalis – Northern Desert Iguana
Sauromalus ater – Chuckwalla

PHRYNOSOMATIDAE – Spiny Lizards
Callisaurus draconoides myurus – Northern Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides rhodostictus – Western Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides ventralis – Eastern Zebra-tailed Lizard
Cophosaurus texanus texanus – Texas Greater Earless Lizard
Cophosaurus texanus scitulus – Southwestern Earless Lizard
Holbrookia elegans thermophila – Elegant Earless Lizard
Holbrookia lacerata lacerata – Northern Spot-tailed Earless Lizard
Holbrookia lacerata subcaudalis – Southern Spot-tailed Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata approximans – Speckled Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata bunkeri – Bunker’s Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata maculata – Great Plains Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata perspicua – Prairie Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata pulchra – Huachuca Earless Lizard
Holbrookia maculata ruthveni – Bleached Earless Lizard
Holbrookia propinqua propinqua – Northern Keeled Earless Lizard
Petrosaurus mearnsi mearnsi – Mearn’s Rock Lizard
Phrynosoma blainvillii – Blainville’s Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma cornutum – Texas Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma douglasii – Pygmy Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma goodei – Goode’s Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandesi hernandesi – Hernandez’s Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma mcallii – Flat-tailed Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma modestum – Round-tailed Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos platyrhinos – Northern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum – Southern Desert Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma solare – Regal Horned Lizard
Sceloporus arenicolus – Dunes Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus clarkii clarkii – Sonoran Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus clarkii vallaris – Plateau Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus consobrinus – Prairie Lizard
Sceloporus cowlesi – Southwestern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus cyanogenys – Blue Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus gracilis – Western Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus graciosus – Northern Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus graciosus vandenburgianus – Southern Sagebrush Lizard
Sceloporus grammicus microlepidotus – Mesquite Lizard
Sceloporus jarrovii – Yarrow’s Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister magister – Purple-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus – Orange-headed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus merriami mirriami – Merriam’s Canyon Lizard
Sceloporus merriami annulatus – Big Bend Canyon Lizard
Sceloporus merriami longipunctatus – Presidio Canyon Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis occidentalis – Northwestern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis becki – Island Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis biceriatus – San Juaquin Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis bocourtii – Coast Range Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes – Great Basin Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis taylori – Sierra Fence Lizard
Sceloporus olivaceus – Texas Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus orcutti – Granite Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus poinsettia poinsettii – New Mexico Crevice Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus poinsettia axtelli – Texas Crevice Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus slevini – Slevin’s Bunch Grass Lizard
Sceloporus tristichus – Plateau Fence Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis – Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus variabilis marmoratus– Texas Rose-bellied Lizard
Sceloporus virgatus – Striped Plateau Lizard
Uma inornata – Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma notata – Colorado Desert Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma rufopunctata – Yuman Valley Fringe-toed Lizard
Uma scoparia – Mohave Fringe-toed Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus graciosus – Western Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Urosaurus graciosus shannoni – Arizona Long-tailed Brush Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus ornatus – Texas Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus levis – Smooth Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus schmidti – Big Bend Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus schottii – Schott’s Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus symmetricus – Colorado River Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus wrighti – Northern Tree Lizard
Uta stansburiana stansburiana – Northern Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana elegans – Western Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana nevadensis – Nevada Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana stejnegeri – Eastern Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana uniformis – Plateau Side-blotched Lizard

POLYCHROTODAE – Anoles
Anolis carolinensis carolinensis – Northern Green Anole
Anolis sagrei – Brown Anole (Introduced Species)

SCINCIDAE – Skinks
Plestiodon anthracinus pluvailis – Southern Coal Skink
Plestiodon callicephalus – Mountain Skink
Plestiodon fasciatus – Common Five-lined Skink
Plestiodon gilberti arizonensis – Arizona Skink
Plestiodon gilberti cancellosus – Variegated Skink
Plestiodon gilberti gilberti – Greater Brown Skink
Plestiodon gilberti placerensis – Northern Brown Skink
Plestiodon gilberti rubricaudatus – Western Red-tailed Skink
Plestiodon laticeps – Broad-headed Skink
Plestiodon multivirgatus epipleurotus – Variable Skink
Plestiodon obsoletus – Great Plains Skink
Plestiodon septentrionalis obtusirostris – Southern Prairie Skin
Plestiodon skiltonianus interparietalis – Coronado Skink
Plestiodon skiltonianus skiltonianus – Skilton’s Skink
Plestiodon skiltonianus utahensis – Great Basin Skink
Plestiodon tetragrammus brevilineatus – Short-lined Skink
Plestiodon tetragrammus tetragrammus – Four-lined Skink
Scincella lateralis – Ground Skink

TEIIDAE – Racerunners and Whiptail Lizards
Aspidoscelis arizonae – Arizona Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis burti stictogrammus – Giant Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis dixoni – Gray Checkered Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis exsanguis – Chihuahuan Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis flagellicauda – Gila Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis gularis gularis – Texas Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis gypsi – Little White Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis hyperythra beldingi – Orange-throated Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis inornata heptagrammus – Trans-Pecos Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis inornata junipera – Woodland Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis inornata llanuras – Plains Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis laredoensis – Laredo Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis marmorata marmorata – Western Marbled Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis marmorata reticuloriens – Eastern Marbled Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis neomexicana – New Mexico Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis neotesselata – Colorado Checkered Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis pai – Pai Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis scalaris septemvittata – Big Bend Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis sexlineata stephensae – Texas yellow-headed Racerunner
Aspidoscelis sexlineata viridis – Prairie Racerunner
Aspidoscelis sonorae – Sonoran Spotted Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis tesselata – Common Checkered Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis tigris tigris – Great Basin Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis tigris munda – California Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis tigris punctilinealis – Sonoran Tiger Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis tigris septentrionalis – Plateau Tiger Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis tigris stejnegeri – Coastal Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis uniparens – Desert Grassland Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis velox – Plateau Striped Whiptail Lizard
Aspidoscelis xanthonota – Red-backed Whiptail Lizard

XANTUSIIDAE – Night Lizards
Xantusia arizonae – Arizona Night Lizard
Xantusia bezyi – Bezy’s Night Lizard
Xantusia gracilis – Sandstone Night Lizard
Xantusia henshawi – Granite Night Lizard
Xantusia riversiana riversiana – San Nicholas Island Night Lizard
Xantusia riversiana reticulata – San Clemente Night Lizard
Xantusia vigilis – Desert Night Lizard
Xantusia sierrae – Sierra Night Lizard
Xantusia wigginsi – Wiggins’ Night Lizard