Description: This male is an orange-throated morph that blended in nicely to the lichens on a basalt outcropping next to the Columbia river. 2.5 inches long from snout to vent. Tail is blunt or swollen (common for species), orange throat and belly, bluish-white spots on back.

Habitat: Habitats include a wide variety of arid and semiarid situations with scattered bushes and/or scrubby trees; soil may be sandy, gravelly, or rocky; the species is often found in sandy washes with scattered rocks and bushes. Eggs are buried in sandy soil.

Range: The geographic range extends from central and northeastern California, central and eastern Oregon, central Washington, southwestern Idaho southward to the tip of Baja California, northern Sinaloa, and northern Zacatecas, Mexico, including many islands along the Pacific coast of Baja California and in the Gulf of California. Elevational range extends from below sea level in desert sinks to about 9,000 feet.

Found in these States: AZ | CA | ID | NV | OR | WA

Diet: Side-blotched lizards are an opportunistic forager that waits for prey to wander within close proximity. It feeds on a variety of insects including grasshoppers, beetles, ants, and termites. It also eats a variety of spiders, scorpions, and occasionally some plant material.

Reproduction: Multiple clutches of eggs are laid in spring and summer. Clutch size ranges from 2 to 5 eggs. Hatchlings begin to emerge in June.

Status: Listed as Least Concern in view of the large and stable extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, number of subpopulations, and population size. No major threats are known.

Taxonomy: