Zebra-tailed Lizard
Callisaurus draconoides
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassSquamata
- FamilyPhrynosomatidae (Phrynosomatid Lizards)
- GenusCallisaurus
- SpeciesCallisaurus draconoides (Zebra-tailed Lizard)
About the Zebra-tailed Lizard
The zebra-tailed lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) is a species of lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae. The species is native to the Southwestern United States and adjacent northwestern Mexico. There are nine recognized subspecies.
Zebra-tailed lizards live in open desert with hard-packed soil, scattered vegetation, and scattered rocks, typically flats, washes, and plains. Zebra-tailed lizards range in size from 2.5 to 4 inches (64 to 102 mm) in snout-to-vent length (SVL). These lizards are grey to sandy brown, usually with a series of paired dark gray spots down the back, becoming black crossbands on the tail. The underside of the tail is white with black crossbars. Males have a pair of black blotches on their sides, extending to blue patches on their bellies. Females have no blue patches, and the black bars are either faint or completely absent.
Zebra-tailed lizards are diurnal and alert. They rise early and are active in all but the hottest weather. During the hottest times of day, lizards may stand alternately on two legs, switching to the opposite two as needed in a kind of dance. When threatened, they run swiftly with their toes... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Saguaro National Park
Desert Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus magister
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
Common Side-blotched Lizard
Uta stansburiana
Greater Earless Lizard
Cophosaurus texanus
Clark's Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus clarkii
Regal Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma solare
Greater Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandesi
Elegant Earless Lizard
Holbrookia elegans
Southwestern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus cowlesi
Twin-spotted Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus bimaculosus
Mountain Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus jarrovii
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Cabo Pulmo National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 3 | Saguaro National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Bahía de Loreto National Park | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 6 | El Vizcaíno Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico | |
| 7 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Zebra-tailed Lizard in Saguaro National Park?
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Zebra-tailed Lizard sighting in Saguaro National Park, based on 1,301 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Zebra-tailed Lizard in Saguaro National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Zebra-tailed Lizard in Saguaro National Park in our monthly data.