Species profile
Ornate Tree Lizard
Urosaurus ornatus
At a glance
Ornate Tree Lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) is an IUCN Least Concern reptile with specific harvest rules tracked in 1 of 66 jurisdictions covered by CatchRules.
Confirmed by 17,030 research-grade iNaturalist observations, with Arizona, Texas, and Utah the top jurisdictions by observation count.
Notable details
- Males sport throat patches of blue, orange, or yellow used in territorial displays.
- Commonly seen sprinting up rough-barked trees and rocky canyon walls.
- Insectivores that consume large quantities of ants, beetles, and grasshoppers daily.
- Adults measure about 4–6 inches in total length.
- Thrives from sea level to over 9,000 feet elevation across the American Southwest.
Where Ornate Tree Lizard are seen
Background
Urosaurus ornatus, commonly known as the ornate tree lizard, is a species of lizard native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The species, which formerly was commonly called simply the "tree lizard", has been used to study physiological changes during the fight-or-flight response as related to stress and aggressive competition. Also, its life history and costs of…
Background excerpt adapted from Wikipedia's Ornate Tree Lizard article (CC BY-SA). Visit Wikipedia for the full entry.
Other reptiles on CatchRules
Photo credit: iNaturalist / Wikipedia. Identification reference only — verify regulations with the issuing wildlife agency before retaining a catch.