“Common Collared Lizard”

On By Mike U.In Photography
Common Collared Lizard, Hovenweep National Monument, SW Colorado (c) Mike Utley

Hovenweep National Monument is located on a swath of land on Cajon Mesa in the Great Sage Plain that straddles the border of southwest Colorado and southeast Utah less than an hour from where I live. It’s widely known for hosting six extraordinary groups of Ancestral Puebloan villages and a kiva, as well as displaying signs of hunter-gatherers from 8,000-6,000 B.C. through 200 A.D. (Info provided by Wikipedia)

On this day in the early 2000s, I set out to photograph the sandstone towers and other structures, many of which were in surprisingly good condition. The day was clear and hot, and as I hiked from the parking area toward the ruins, I was eager to see the place for the first time and make some images to add to my portfolio.

Alas, nature has a weird fickle streak which makes her unpredictable, and about a half-hour into my hike a sandstorm appeared and intensified with surprising alacrity. I managed to photograph one cylindrical tower amid blowing sand, then jammed my camera inside my shirt to protect it from sand and grit and hoofed it back toward the parking area to wait out the sandstorm in my truck.

On the trail not far from the parking lot, I stumbled across this little guy near a small juniper and some sage brush on the dirt trail. I’d never seen this species of lizard in the wild before, and was unaware of its name. At around ten inches in length, it was larger than the majority of lizards in my area, and its brilliant coloring was fascinating. So, I stopped and set about trying to get some shots of this fellow.

The sandstorm was still blowing dust and grit as I hunkered down to get a decent angle with my 75-300mm lens. The lizard was active, darting about, seeming to run laps around me. It was obviously acclimated to humans, at least to a degree, and it hung around the T-intersection of the trail, flitting about as though it were playing tag with me. After about twenty minutes of stalking this guy amid rapidly changing lighting conditions and several “oohs” and “ahhs” from passers-by, I finally managed to make a couple of images.

The first image here has better composition than the second, while the lighting in the second image is more dynamic than the first. I rarely photographed animals during my nature photography period of 1995-2003 for a couple of reasons. First, as much as I love animals, I prefer landscape photography—I was always very methodical and meticulous in my approach to photography and that meant taking my time to evaluate the scene and make compositional decisions, something that’s more difficult to do when attempting to capture moving animals on film. Second, I simply never had the proper gear to photograph wildlife. Big heavy, fast, expensive lenses are part of a wildlife photographer’s arsenal. I couldn’t afford to spend thousands of dollars on a 300mm f/2.8 lens for wildlife images, and my 75-300mm f/4.0-5.6 zoom wasn’t ideal for subjects in constant motion. Photographing a mountain vista doesn’t require super-fast shutter speeds to freeze the action; photographing a common collared lizard who appears to be on a jittery caffeine-high is a different matter altogether. I was glad to get these two images, and later I checked my field guide to properly identify the species.

Common Collared Lizard, Hovenweep National Monument, SW Colorado (c) Mike Utley

This was more than twenty years ago, and I’ve never seen another common collared lizard. A bit of serendipity, I suppose—I set out to photograph ancient ruins and ended up with lizard images instead. You never know what nature has in store for you. (Canon gear, Fuji Velvia ISO 50)

60 thoughts on ““Common Collared Lizard””

  1. How interesting Mike. I loved the common Lizards in NC but they were never still long enough to photograph. Anoles are very fast and get into cracks quickly. This one is much longer and has a lot more detail. An amazingly clear photograph considering there was a sand storm. It is funny what we will do to get a great shot. It is almost like he was as curious about you as you were about him.

    Happy Wednesday my friend sending so hugs, love and blessings your way. ❤️🤗😘

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    1. Thanks, Joni. The sandstorm was still blowing at this point but was petering-out a bit. The lighting was changing by the moment and I was lucky to get a decent image. I wasn’t about to give up. And you’re right–it was as though the lizard was hanging around to see what I was up to. Most lizards in my area are gray or brown, lacking color (although some are blue-bellied), so seeing this dramatically hued green lizard was startlling. I made sure to stay as far back as I could so as to not aggitate the lizard, which meant using my long telephoto zooon lens which isn’t a fast lens. It was a cool experience overall despite the sandstorm, although never got any of my ruins shots scanned from that trip.

      Happy Wednesday to you, too, my friend! 😊🦎

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    1. Thanks, Xenia. I was truly surprised to see this lizard. I grew up in this area and have lived most of my life here but had never come across this species before. It has a beautiful color palette, for sure. 😊🦎

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    1. Thanks so much, Joanne, and I agree with you–there are some incredible animals (and plants) on our little planet, and it’s a delight to stumble across them when least expected. 😊

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  5. I can picture you trying to capture a lizard on film during a sandstorm while the critter scurries around you. I’m glad you did since he’s a beauty. I’ve never seen one like that. The first photo shows off his colorful armor beautifully. Fun post, Mike.

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    1. Thanks, Diana. It was really a fun encounter, and I was surprised the lizard was so friendly. Generally, in my experience, lizards tend to high-tail it when confronted with humans, but this little guy was sort of a show-off. And you’re right about the detail of the scales. What a stunning creature. 😊🦎

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    1. Thanks, Peggy. The color scheme is fascinating, indeed. So vastly different from the ordinary lizards in my area, which lean toward gray, brown or tan. This one really stood out. 😊🦎 (I’m getting a lot of use out of this lizard emoji today!)

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  9. rajkkhoja

    Very nice you sharing Common Collared Lizard, Hovenweep National Monument. I like. Interesting Collared Lizard history. Wonderful you capture both Collared Lizard.

    How interesting Mike. I loved the common Lizards. I never seen photograph or a Lizard.

    Thanks my dear friend.

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    1. Many thanks, dear friend. I’m happy to know you enjoyed these photos. The lizard was beautiful. I was so surprised to see such a colorful lizard. I’m gald I was able to make some photographs and share them here. 😊🦎

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  10. So true, you never know. Makes the journey that much more enticing, don’t you think? I have never seen that type of lizard, and having lived in Tucson for five years, I’ve seen my share! A gorgeous capture Mike and engaging essay about Mother Nature and photography. 👏🏻

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    1. Kindest thanks, Michele. You’re right–it’s the journey, not the destination, and serendipity blesses us sometimes. I can’t count how many times I went out hiking with my camera gear with some inner vision of an image I wanted to capture, only to find something completely different that blew my mind instead. Or, all the times I falied to make a single image, but still felt fulfilled by the experience of hiking in nature and breathing in all of its beauty. This lizard was a complete surprise, and I’m glad it popped out of the sage brush and onto the trail when it did. If I had passed that spot on the trail a mere five seconds sooner or later, I never would have experienced this encounter. Here’s hoping serendipity blesses you generously next time you’re out and about in the desert. 😊🦎

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      1. You’re a blessing, Mike, a talented, courageous, and compassionate human. Thank you for the time and caring energy you give to your work and to people. 🙏🏻 Your lizard story is similar to my roadrunner encounter, last month.

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    1. Thanks so much, Aaysid. My mom had a deep-seated fear of salamanders for some reason, so naturally, as a kid, I made it a point to show her all the salamanders I’d find at the farm. She was NOT amused. 🤣 She didn’t mind lizards as much, and sort of liked the little horny toads I’d find on occasion. Good times, indeed! 😊🦎

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    1. Thanks, Kymber. Fortunately, I saw lizards much more often than snakes in this area while growing up. I don’t mind lizards–I always loved horny toads (aka horned lizards)–as a kid but I can certainly do without rattlesnakes! Also, as my deafness progressed over the years, I had to be especially careful while hiking or doing anything outdoors since I couldn’t hear the telltale hiss of a rattlesnake shaking its tail. I was super-pleased to see this collared lizard, and I’m glad I had my camera gear with me that day. 😊🦎

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    1. I know, right? It’s such a misnomer to call this a “common” collared lizard. Nothing common about this one, for sure! I mentioned in my reply to Aaysid’s comment above that my mom hated salamanders with a passion. Her reaction to them was very similar to your mom’s reaction. As a typical boy growing up on a farm, lizards and salamanders and the occasional toad were friends of mine (spiders and snakes, not so much). 😊🦎

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    1. Many thanks, Kirsten. Yep, this lizard was so freaking cool. I’d seen them in magazines but didn’t know they were indigenous to this area. I was also surprised by how accustomed to human presence it was as it hung out on the trail intersection. I was sure it would skitter into the sage brush but it must have been curious (or bored). It was certainy an unexpected treat, for sure. 😊🦎

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    1. Thanks. I’ve visited Arches and Canyonlands a few times, spent a lot of time in Lisbon Valley near Monticello, and spent most of my life in this area, but I never saw one of these lizards until I went to Hovenweep, and haven’t seen any since. I know they’re in the area, but man, they’re really camera-shy, apparently.

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  19. Chuckster

    I’d like to know who names these creatures, so I could give them the ‘what for’. Was it Vernon Orlando Bailey? Perhaps he’d like to be Christened ‘Common Vernon’! How would that feel? Really, the names these naturalist come up with, they should be ashamed. How about one of these: 1. Prairie Jewel Lizard
    2. Regal Bandit Lizard
    3. Sunburst Strider
    4. Spotted Cowboy Dragon
    5. Desert Dandy Lizard
    6. Azure Neck Racer
    7. Cactus Collar Lizard
    8. Vibrant Band Lizard
    9. Painted Wrangler
    10. Canyon Crest Lizard

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    1. Thanks, Chuckster! I’ll take any of your suggestions over “common collared lizard” any day. Sixty years I’ve spent on this planet, most of them in the desert region of the Four Corners area, and only once have I spotted this “common” lizard. Makes me wonder about the rarity of “uncommon” lizards. 😃🦎

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    2. Ah, favorite landmarks… Honestly, there are quite a few in this area, and many of them would never make anyone else’s Top Ten list due to their purely personal meaning. I mean, Delicate Arch in Arches National Park is glorious, right? And millions of other folks would agree. But what comes to mind are a couple of nondescript, out-of-the-way landmarks that very few people have ever seen and I’m sure no one would give a first glance to, let alone a second glance.

      Big Indian Rock is located in Lisbon Valley near Monticello, UT. It’s nothing special to look at, just a rock formation that appears as though it tried really hard to become an arch but failed. Still, it’s meaningful to me and I’ve phtographed it numerous times. I think the fact that no one really knows about it is what makes it endearing to me. It feels like my own personal discovery. I’m sure the local ranchers who run cattle there are aware of the formation, as well as the truckers who drive back and forth to the eyesore of a copper mine a few miles from it, but I’ve never seen a photograph of it in any notable publications. I came across it while driving through Lisbon Valley many years ago and it was so startling to me at the time that I had to pull over and explore. It sort of pops up out of nowhere. There’s a huge chunk of it that apparently broke off ages ago and tumbled to the canyon floor. Erosion has etched this boulder in an intricate pattern and gives it the feeling of some sort of heiroglyphic text. It’s such a quiet place (at least in my memory) and it’s familiar to me in a special way. I have a couple of photos here on my blog if you’re interested:

      Textured Boulder & Big Indian Rock

      Big Indian Rock

      The other landmark is simply a dead Ponderosa pine that stands about a mile from the farm where I was raised. It’s the only Ponderosa in the near vicinity of the farm, and it’s been dead since before my late mom was born in 1940. How it withstood the elements for all of those decades and remains upright is sort of mind-boggling. I nicknamed it the “landmark tree” when I was a kid because whenever I’d see that tree on my way home from school 25 miles away in Monticello, I knew I was almost home. I’ve seen that dead tree thousands of times over the years and it always seemed to be a guardian or sentinel of sorts, signaling the farm was nearby. I have some photos of it but haven’t published any here on my blog (I’m considering doing a write up, perhaps). It’s an extraordinarily ordinary landmark that has a bit of profound meaning to me. I haven’t been to the family farm in nine years so I can’t say for sure if this tree still stands, but I hope it does. 😊

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  20. Both the photos are absolutely stunning – the first one really captures the sheen of his colours and I love the face he’s making 😂 I thoroughly enjoyed your account – what about experience!

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    1. Many thanks, Deepthy. It was indeed a fun experience, and this colorful lizard made a wonderful subject despite the fact he was constantly darting about here and there. I’m glad he posed long enough for these two images. I’d never seen such a gorgeous lizard before (or since). 😊🦎

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    1. Thank you kindly. It was an interesting encounter. I think the lizard was accustomed to humans since he stayed near the trail rather than dart off into the sage brush. It was a challenge to get a few images due to his constant activity. I’m pretty sure it was a male, considering the brightly ornate coloring, bands and dots. I’d love to come across another one sometime. 😊🦎

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