On a cool morning we had taken our dogs on a lengthy morning hike. As we circled around Gomez Peak and got back to the sunny side, I spotted a large-ish lizard profile sticking above a distant rock. When I got a little closer, it saw me, turned tail, and vanished beneath the rock. I thought I saw a banded tail as it disappeared, and thought it might be a Crevice Spiny Lizard, a species which I had hoped to see while in New Mexico. Fortunately the rock it had vanished beneath was not too large to turn, and when I did I was happy to discover that it housed not one but two Crevice Spiny Lizards. The one with the regenerating tail was a juvenile; the one with the full banded tail that had attracted my attention was a full-sized adult.

A few days later I saw several more of these handsome lizards, but the day was warmer and the lizards were warier. The second one pictured here was a large adult in bright breeding colors. I saw it from a distance on the way in and on the way out, but it didn't let me get very close.