General Description: Sonoran Spiny Lizards (Sceloporus clarkii clarkii) are large (6-in. snout-vent length), stocky lizards with a large head, thick neck, and blunt snout. The scales are large and spiny. Coloration is gray-brown (can be darker) with blue-green accents. The side of the neck is marked with a dark bar bordered by white. The dorsal pattern is unmarked in males, but juveniles and females have crossbars. Males have a blue patch on each side of the belly and one under the chin; females lack blue patches. Diagnostic for this species are dark bands on the forearm, described as bracelet-like crossbars.

Taxonomy: Phrynosomatid Lizard Family (Phrynosomatidae).

Where to Find: Don't look for Sonoran Spiny Lizards around Las Vegas. Rather, look for them in central and southeastern Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and south to western Jalisco, Mexico.