Collard Lizards

Male Collard Lizard

Female Collard Lizard

I was so excited to get photographs of these two Ozark Mountain Boomers or Eastern Collard Lizards. They like to bask on the exposed rocks in the glades of the St. Francois Mountains. I've been to the glade several times but this was my first opportunity to see these colorful lizards. The first one I saw was a male, easy to identify because of the blueish or greenish color. He displayed typical mating behavior of bobbing his head up and down. Later, close to the spot where the male was seen I photographed a female with yellowish tan coloring.