Lizards Around Las Vegas
Wildlife Around Las Vegas
 

 
More than 20 species of harmless lizards can be found around Las Vegas, but only a few are common. The most common lizards are the small Side-blotched Lizards; almost every small lizard scurrying away under a rock or creosote bush is a side-blotched. Collared Lizards are common on rocky hillsides, and Desert Iguanas and Zebra-tailed Lizards are common in sandy flats. Desert Spiny Lizards and their cousins (the "blue belly" lizards) are common at Red Rocks and in the mountains. After you learn to recognize the common lizards, it will be easier to recognize the less common species.

Gila (pronounced "he' la") Monsters are the only venomous lizards around Las Vegas, but they are rare and seldom seen; although people often mistake Chuckwallas for Gilas. If you see one, count yourself among the lucky and leave it alone.

Mojave Black-collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores) Great Basin Collared Lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores)
Leopard Lizard Longnose Leopard Lizard (Gambelia wislizenii)
Desert Iguana Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
Chuckwalla Common Chuckwalla (Sauromalus obesus)
Zebra-tailed Lizard Zebra-tailed Lizard (Callisaurus draconoides)
Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus) Greater Earless Lizard (Cophosaurus texanus)
Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard (Uma scoparia) Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard (Uma scoparia)
Horned Lizard Desert Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma platyrhinos calidiarum)
Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglassii) Short-horned Lizard (Phrynosoma douglassii)
Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus) Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus)
Spiny Lizard Desert Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister)
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister uniformis)
Orange-headed Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus magister cephaloflavus)
Western Fence Lizard Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus)
Side-blotched Lizard Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana)
Tree Lizard Tree Lizard (Urosaurus ornatus)
Long-tailed†Brush Lizard (Urosaurus graciosus) Long-tailed Brush Lizard (Urosaurus graciosus)
Desert Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus) Western Banded Gecko (Coleonyx variegatus)
Mediterranean Gecko Mediterranean Gecko (Hemidactylus turcicus)
Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis) Desert Night Lizard (Xantusia vigilis)
Whiptail Lizard

Western (Great Basin) Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris tigris)
Western (Coastal) Whiptail (Aspidoscelis tigris multiscutatus)

Plateau Striped Whiptail (Aspidoscelis velox) Plateau Striped Whiptail (Aspidoscelis velox)
Gilbert Skink (Eumeces gilberti) Gilbert Skink (Eumeces gilberti)
Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus) Western Skink (Eumeces skiltonianus)
Photo © William Flaxington 2007

Panamint Alligator Lizard (Elgaria panamintina)

Species Not Around Las Vegas:

Northwestern Alligator Lizard (Elgaria coerulea principis)

Desert Iguana (Banded) Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectus cinctum)
Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura hemilopha)

Species not around Las Vegas:

Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura hemilopha)

 
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© Jim Boone; Last updated 100120
 
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