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(Crotaphytus collaris)
Identification: Head large, sometimes bright yellow; tail long; two areas of coloration resembling incomplete black collars around narrow neck; upper side with smooth, granular scales, turquoise to greenish to brown with numerous small light spots in adult; toes of adults yellow in western Colorado; lining of pharynx usually black; total length up to about 36 cm (14 inches).
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Mature male: Two bulges (from hemipenes) may be evident at base of tail; throat with dark spots or circles (most evident in western Colorado), or throat yellow to orange (southeastern Colorado); head especially large. Mature female: Orange-red bars or spots on sides of body and neck during breeding season; throat unmarked or faintly spotted. |
| Juvenile: Upper side with wide dark bands or rows
of large dark spots separated by narrow light lines, sometimes with
red/orange spots on neck and sides of chest.
Hatchling:
Snout-vent length often about 40 mm (1.6 inches). |
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Colorado
Distribution: Southeastern Colorado, mainly
south of the Arkansas River; southwestern and west-central Colorado, south of
Rio Blanco County. Locally fairly common.
Habitat: Rocky canyons, slopes, and
gullies; rocky ledges above cliffs; exposures of bedrock; and areas with
scattered large rocks and sparse vegetation, and sometimes nearby in rockless
gullies, flat canyon bottoms, and mesa tops where soils are firm. Often in areas
with pinyon pine, juniper, sagebrush, rabbitbrush, greasewood, scrub oak, other
shrubs, or sparse nonwoody plants. Often basks on boulders.
Life
History: Females lay eggs in late spring or
early summer. Hatchlings first appear in August.
Revised: July, 24 2003