Sceloporus Virgatus, the Striped plateau lizard

The striped plateau lizard, Sceloporus virgatus, can be found in southeastern Arizona and further south into Mexico. You’ll often spot these lizards low to the ground basking on rocks and the base of trees.

When thinking about lizards, most people imagine desert dwelling animals, however, these lizards live in montane forests (forests in the mountains). They like the cooler temperatures of higher elevation.

This poses a problem for their species survival. As temperatures increase due to climate change, high elevation species will move further and further up the mountain until there’s no where left to go. To save species like the striped plateau lizard, we must all make eco-friendly decisions.