The dorsal pattern consists of 6 light stripes that run from the head to the hips. The stripes are pale yellow to beige. Light colored spots occur on and between the stripes. This upland lizard can be seen in a variety of habitats ranging from desert grasslands to rocky slopes to canyon bottoms, or similar areas subject to periodic flooding. It is seen in the open, but remains near protective cover.
Reproduction occurs through parthenogenesis.
One to six unfertilized eggs are laid in mid- to late summer. Hatchlings appear six weeks later. In North America, this lizard is seen in the Chihuahuan Desert of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico. In Texas, it is found in the Trans-Pecos region. This project funded by the University of Texas College of Natural Sciences and the Texas Memorial Museum .