Compare two species

Common Side-blotched Lizard vs. Western Whiptail

Both live in southern Idaho. The Common Side-blotched Lizard has a dark blotch on the side just behind the front leg and tiny grainy back scales; the Western Whiptail has pale stripes broken by dark bars into a checkered pattern, tiny grainy scales and a very long tail. A: Common Side-blotched Lizard, a dark blue-black blotch on the side just behind the front leg; Western Whiptail, no collar and no dark blotch behind the front leg. B: Common Side-blotched Lizard, tiny, grainy scales: not spiny; Western Whiptail, tiny, grain-like scales. C: Common Side-blotched Lizard, speckled with pale blue (males) or dark blotches and pale stripes (females); Western Whiptail, pale stripes broken by dark bars and spots: checkered.

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Common Side-blotched Lizard

Uta stansburiana

Western Whiptail

Aspidoscelis tigris

Photographs via iNaturalist under Creative Commons licences; the photographers are credited on the sheet.

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