#desert spiny lizard

[pacogabby]

Desert spiney lizard at Red Rock State Park, Arizona.

[textless]

Meet my favorite lizard! New-Tail, formerly known as No-Tail, lives in one of the flowerbeds in the backyard. New-Tail's tail was lost when she was quite small, and of course she kept growing as the new tail came in. So, the scale is a little off in a way that adds character.

These photos were taken in July 2025, and as of April 2026, New-Tail is full-sized but her new tail is still smallish. Go get em, little pal.

Cochise County, Arizona, July 2025.

[fatchance]

A stout desert spiny lizard (Sceloporus magister) at Sweetwater Wetlands, Tucson, Arizona.

Breeding season is done, and he has lost some of his vibrant colors, but there are still hints of turquoise and green on the scales of his neck and belly. Like other lizards, a male desert spiny will do pushups to better display his colors to attract females and warn off competing males. Stay swole little guy.

[pleasuretrade]

[spinus-pinus]

Desert Spiny Lizard Sceloporus magister

6/11/2024 Joshua Tree National Park, California

hsug1747 via iNaturalist, CC-BY-NC

[thegingerjeweler]

Slo-Mo frendo passing by. 💚 He was just a blur at regular speed.

My shop

[johnrobertmiller]

A common Desert Spiny Lizard (his name is Herbie) catching some sunshine on a brick in my backyard during last summer in Tucson, Arizona. Technie Note: This as shot using a Nikon D2H and a 80-400 Nikon lens.

[crudlynaturephotos]