Sa.urom.Alus and Crotaphytus 



and Chihuahua, Mexico. It is most abundant in dry, rocky 

 districts; it teems on the sub-arid plains of western Texas. 



Habits. Pugnacious, greedy and very active, this hand- 

 some lizard is in many ways interesting. It is cannibalistic 

 and will greedily devour fair-sized specimens of the spiny, horned 

 lizards (Phrynosoma), though the diet is often varied with blos- 

 soms and tender leaves. When alarmed it dashes away on its 

 hind legs, in kangaroo fashion. 



As a captive, the Collared Lizard is bright and hardy. It 

 delights in a bed of dry sand, heated by an all-day flood of sun- 

 shine. Among examples of their kind, these lizards are peace- 

 ful enough, but no smaller lizards are safe in a cage with them. 

 They will greedily consume swifts, horned "toads" and even 

 young snakes. Their method of eating at once suggests that of 

 the frogs, as the mouth is capacious, and the food is tucked into 

 it with the front feet, in frog-like fashion. It is surprising to 

 note the size of a lizard that one of these reptiles will swallow; 

 it will engulf a swift that is longer than its head and body. One 

 of the writer's specimens was found choked to death after it 

 had tried to swallow a spiny swift (Sceloporus) that was nearly 

 as big around as itself. The voracious animal had stuffed the 

 head and shoulders of the prey into its mouth and down the 

 throat, but there it became immovable, too large to go farther 

 and too spiny to be ejected. 



Aside from the cannibalistic habits, the Collared Lizard is 

 fond of small flowers. It will devour the blossoms of red clover 

 and the dandelion. Insects form a portion of the diet and cap- 

 tive lizards will eat grasshoppers, crickets and mealworms. 



If an avenue of escape be open, these lizards will invariably 

 dart away when startled. The method of locomotion is curious. 

 For several feet the reptile skims over the ground in normal 

 fashion, but as it attains full speed the tail is sharply raided and 

 the body rears upward in kangaroo fashion; thence the creature 

 rushes off on its powerful hind limbs. In this position it may 

 run for a hundred feet or more. If it encounters a hole or small 

 gully, the body is pressed against the ground, the hind limbs 

 fold like those of a frog and a long jump follows. When cornered, 

 the lizard turns quickly, opens the mouth widely and discloses 

 a cavernous, black throat. The jaws are strong enough to pro- 

 duce a fair blood blister upon one's finger. 



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