Crotaphytus bicinctores
Silhouette: Jose Carlos Arenas-Monroy · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
The Great Basin collared lizard (Crotaphytus bicinctores), also known commonly as the desert collared lizard or the Mojave black-collared lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Crotaphytidae. The species is endemic to the Western United States.
C. bicinctores is very similar to the common collared lizard, Crotaphytus collaris, in shape and size, but it lacks the bright extravagant colors. Males can be brown to orange and some red or pink on the belly. Females are more black or dark brown. C. bicintores has elongated scales near the claws, and the tail is more triangular in shape than round as with C. collaris.
C. bicinctores has a broad head, large hind legs, and derives its specific name from the pair of black bands on the neck. Males have broader heads than females, with a dark-colored throat and more pronounced orange crossbands on the body. Adults range in size from 2.5 to 4.5 in (6.4 to 11.4 cm) in snout-to-vent length (SVL), with a thick tail that is often twice as long as the body.
The Great Basin collared lizard is endemic to the Western United States, and is found in California, most of Nevada, southeastern Oregon... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death Valley National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Joshua Tree National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Zion National Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Grand Canyon National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Living Desert Zoo and Gardens | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Houston Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | Chattanooga Zoo at Warner Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Newport Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Collared Lizard sighting in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, based on 370 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 12th most-seen of the 39 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Desert Collared Lizard in Joshua Tree National Park on a given day, against under 5% in December and January, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Desert Collared Lizard sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Desert Collared Lizard sightings, Joshua Tree National Park ranks 2nd at about 40%. The best odds are in Death Valley National Park (United States, about 50%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Desert Collared Lizard is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Joshua Tree National Park (370 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
