This is a small group of exclusively North American and western Mexican lizards. They are characterized by a large head, narrow neck, long hind limbs, the ability to run bipedally, and presence of femoral pores. The tail is strong, long, and does not regenerate if lost. All species are active insectivores, but will also eat other lizards, large arachnids, and small mammals.

Collared lizards are generally found in arid and semiarid canyons and rocky ravines. Leopard lizards prefer flat sandy areas with interspersed clump grasses. They range from sw Idaho to w central Mexico. They occur on islands in the Gulf of California but only occur at the very northern tip of the Baja peninsula, near the U.S.-Mexican border.

Genus Gambelia Baird and Girard, 1852:

Leopard Lizards  

silus Stejneger, 1890

wislizenii Baird & Girard, 1852

Subspecies:  

   -copeii Yarrow, 1882

   -maculosa Tanner & Banta, 
     1977

   -punctata Tanner & Banta,
     1963

   -wislizenii Baird & Girard, 1852

Genus Crotaphytus Holbrook, 1842:

Collared Lizards  

bicinctores Smith & Tanner,
   1972

collaris (Say, 1823)

Subspecies: 

   -auriceps Fitch & Tanner, 1972

   -baileyi Stejneger, 1890

   -collaris (Say, 1823)

fuscus Ingram & Tanner, 1971

nebrius Axtell & Montanucci,
  1977

dickersonae Schmidt, 1922

grismeri McGuire, 1994

insularis Van Denburgh & Slevin,
  1921

reticulatus Baird, 1858

vestigium Smith & Tanner, 1972