Crevice Spiny Lizard(Sceloporus poinsetti)

A lizard of the rocks, the Crevice Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus poinsetti) is one of the most prickly looking lizards. It's heavily keeled scales are an adaptation that, together with an ability to puff themselves up, makes for a lizard that is hard to extract from the tight rocky crevices into which they retreat.

This is a large Sceloporus species found in rocky cliff situations of southern New Mexico. They are an active and aggressive hunter, stalking prey and then pouncing hard. Shown here is a male from Soccorro County.

Their coloration is fairly drab, though there is a certain iridescence about their base coloration. The males have bluish belly markings. Their body is slightly compressed laterally, allowing them to fit into narrow crevices. Their toes are long for grasping the rocks -- these guys are nimble climbers. And always, there are the prickly, heavily keeled scales from head to tail.

Long-Nosed Leapord Lizards Gambelia wislizenii

I love these lizards. They are not easily approached, they're fast as all get out (they'll even run on just two legs -- don't blink or you'll miss it), they're clever, they're amazing jumpers, and they're fair sized often over a foot from head to tail.

Long-nosed leapord lizards occur naturally in New Mexico, though they are commonly kept and traded as pets.  They do make great temporary pets! Just give them some heat, correct lighting, and some crickets; crunchy outside, soft and juicy inside!

Females with eggs like the one in the top pictures develop orange-red markings during the breeding season.