General Description: These fast, light-colored lizards are found in open sandy and open gravel areas. They have a banded tail that they often wave in the air, and the bands completely encircle the tail.

Taxonomy: Phrynosomatid Lizard Family.

Technical Description: Light-colored lizards to about 8 in. (20 cm) total length. The overall color is tan to light brown with two dark bars on the side of body near midbody. The tail has black bands the completely encircle the tail (compare to earless lizards). The head is wedge-shaped, and the scales are fine and smooth. Zebra-tails have external ear openings present (compare with earless lizards).

Zebra-tails look similar to Earless Lizards (which occur in Arizona). In Zebra-tails, the black bands completely encircle the tail, while in earless lizards, the black bands are on the underside of the trail. Zebra-tails also have external ear openings, which earless lizards do not.

Diet: Carnivorous, eating mostly insects, spiders (arthropods in general), some plant material, and occasionally other lizards.

Habitat: Washes, sandy areas, and open gravel flats with few plants where they can escape predators by running quickly.

Range: Southern and western Nevada, southeastern California, southern Arizona, and northern Mexico.

Comments: These lizards often curl their tail upward (revealing bold black and white barring) and waves it side-to-side before running. Also holds tail up when running. Curling the tail up may cause predators to attack their tail, which comes off, allowing the lizard to escape.