66: Eastern Collared Lizard
I write to you from Arapahoe, Ute, and Cheyenne land. I am interested in learning about the different animals that live in the place where I was born. Before we start with today’s animal, I want to emphasize that biological classification as understood by western society has its roots in racism, sexism, and transphobia – here’s a good explainer about why.
Colorado has 19 species of lizard, almost all of whom live below 8000 feet in elevation – otherwise they would get too cold! One of the prettiest of these is the colorful Eastern collared lizard, also known as the Common collared lizard (Crotaphytus collaris):
This coloration is that of the males during mating season; otherwise the lizards are brown, with darker and lighter spots. When chased by predators, such as hawks and snakes, they can stand on their hind legs and run as fast as 16 mph! They prefer dry, sunny areas, and live throughout the southern part of the US west of the Mississippi River and into Mexico. In the eastern parts of their range, such as in western Missouri, they have experienced habitat loss from humans planting trees and creating too much shade coverage. Their eggs are soft and leathery and their young hatch ready to run, needing no parenting. Bizarrely, they are known as the “mountain boomer” in Oklahoma despite not making any noise. No one seems to know where this name originated from. These large lizards can grow to be over a foot long!