Zebra-Tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) lives in desert scrublands across Southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Zebra-Tailed Lizard
- Zebra-tailed lizards can sprint at a blistering 7.2 m/s, making them one of the fastest desert lizards. When a predator appears they bolt in a zig-zag, covering up to 50 m in a single dash. Their escape style includes curled toes and a raised, striped tail that flashes like a warning flag.
- Breeding runs from May through August, with females laying an average clutch of four eggs, each about 8 × 15 mm. After a gestation of 48-62 days the hatchlings emerge in July, September, already independent. Both sexes reach sexual maturity at two years, when males average 70 mm SVL and females 65 mm. This rapid, repeat-clutch strategy offsets heavy predation, keeping populations stable despite many predators.
- Desert temperatures swing wildly: in the Mojave they hit 49 °C (120 °F) by day and plunge to, 7 °C (20 °F) at night; the Great Basin ranges from 14 °C (57 °F) to, 8 °C (18 °F); the Colorado desert climbs to 45 °C (113 °F) and drops to, 5 °C (23 °F). Zebra-tailed lizards tolerate this by being diurnal, basking in the sun when it's warm enough and retreating to burrows or shade during extremes. Their ability to function across such a thermal span lets them occupy a broad swath of the Southwest.
- In creosote-scrub deserts the species packs tightly, reaching 4.8 to 6.0 individuals per acre, roughly one lizard per 600 to 800 m². Such densities arise on hard-packed flats and washes where sparse shrubs provide shade and rocks offer perches.
- Adults measure between 2.5 and 4 inches (64-102 mm) from snout to vent, but males grow larger, reaching 70-93 mm while females stay at 65-75 mm. Overall body length, tail included, spans 152-232 mm, and they weigh just 9-18 g.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeSouthwestern United States and northwestern Mexico
HabitatDesert scrublands
DietInsects and spiders
About the Zebra-Tailed Lizard
As the scorching desert sun beats down upon the arid landscape, the zebra-tailed lizard emerges, its diminutive form darting with lightning speed across the sandy dunes, its striking tail held aloft like a banner. With each swift, agile movement, the lizard's very existence seems a testament to the boundless resilience of life in this unforgiving environment, where temperatures soar and water is scarce. As it runs, the zebra-tailed lizard's tail flicks back and forth, a mesmerizing metronome that propels it forward with an almost reckless abandon, driven by an insatiable quest for survival in this harsh, beautiful world.
Hear the Zebra-Tailed Lizard, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
More reptiles to discover
