This page lists 25 lizards: 6 from Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) / Nevada Board of Wildlife Commissioners's Commission Regulation 19-02, combined with NAC 503.080, the 2022 SGCN List and the NDOW Species Information database and 19 named in other official sources.
1 is venomous by official accounts. 1 is nonnative.
Which lizards can hurt you
Official sources single out these lizards in Nevada, in their own words:
“A Gila monster bite is painful to humans but rarely deadly.” NDOW
Size
NPS: up to 22 inches (560 mm) long and over a pound (450 g), the largest lizard in the United States. AZGFD: up to 14 inches from snout to vent. NDOW lists 18-24 inches and 2-4 lb.
How to recognize it
Hard, rounded, beadlike scales; dark forked tongue; short fat tail
Short, stout legs with long, sharp-clawed toes; big head and round tail
NV state status: Priority Species, State Protected; federal column on NDOW page: Near Threatened
What the sources say
Venom: “Gila Monsters are the only venomous lizard native to Nevada.” (NDOW)
Habitat: The Gila Monster is usually found in rocky desert scrub habitats and semi-desert grassland. They use features such as rock crevices, boulders, burrows, and packrat middens. (NDOW)
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Size
Adults 11 to 16.5 inches (28 to 42 cm) long (AZGFD); up to 9 inches snout to vent. NPS gives up to 20 inches. AZGFD calls it the largest native iguanid in the US.
How to recognize it
Flat, wide body with loose skin folds on neck and sides; flattened broad head; tail blunt at the tip and broad at the base
Small, granular body scales (Gila monster has large bead-like scales)
Larger and stockier than other US iguanid lizards, without head spines or enlarged scales along the back
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
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51 records by month.What the sources say
Habitat: Chuckwallas are found in southern Nevada in the Mojave Desert. They prefer rocky areas with lots of crevices such as outcrops and rocky hillsides. They do not require a lot of vegetation in their preferred areas. (NDOW)
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Where in Nevada
Statewide (NDOW page map: eastern, southern, western regions) NDOW
Conservation
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Desert Horned Lizard can be found throughout Nevada, and in many different types of habitats. They like sandy flats, alluvial fans, washes, sand dunes, and among rocky areas. (NDOW)
Photo: Joshua Tree National Park · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: Desert Iguanas live in the Mojave Desert in southern Nevada. They prefer brushy areas, especially with creosote bushes. Dry, rocky, brushy areas with plenty of areas to conceal themselves are preferred. They are not usually found in areas that do not have creosote bushes. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Desert Night Lizard is found primarily in desert habitats but may also range up into adjacent chaparral and lower pine woodland. It lives in and under decaying Joshua trees and other species of yucca, beargrass, prickly pear, and pine logs. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Great Basin Collared Lizard is found mainly in desert, sparsely vegetated, rocky areas on hillsides, rocky plains, and in canyons. It perches atop rocks and hides under rocks or in rodent burrows when startled. (NDOW)
Photo: Joshua Tree National Park · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Great Basin Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis longipes
Not stated
Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Where in Nevada
Statewide (NDOW page map: eastern, southern, western regions) NDOW
Conservation
NV state status: Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Great Basin Fence Lizard is found throughout the state in a variety of habitats such as the pinyon-juniper woodlands, desert scrub, and dry rocky areas. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Greater Short-horned Lizard’s range extends from semiarid plains to high mountains. They occupy a wide variety of habitats including sagebrush, open pinyon-juniper, pine-spruce, and spruce-fir forests. They prefer areas with looser soils as well. In Nevada, they are found in the Northwestern part of the state. (NDOW)
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Where in Nevada
Statewide (NDOW page map: eastern, southern, western regions) NDOW
Conservation
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Long-nosed Leopard Lizard is found throughout Nevada. They prefer areas that are sandy and rocky with low shrubs. They do not like densely vegetated areas because they can’t run to escape potential predators. They use mammal burrows to lay their eggs. (NDOW)
NV state status: Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: Native to the Mediterranean region, this species has been introduced by humans, both intentionally and accidentally, and now thrives in warm regions across the globe. In Nevada, Mediterranean House Geckos are well established in the southern part of the state, especially in urban and suburban areas where water, shelter, and insects are easy to find. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, State Protected; federal column on NDOW page: Near Threatened
What the sources say
Habitat: The Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard has a limited range in Nevada. They are uniquely adapted for living in sandy desert environments and are only found in places with sandy shifting substrate. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Pygmy Short-Horned Lizard only lives in the extreme northern portions of the state. This species can be found in a variety of habitats such as sandy fats, alluvial fans, along washes, at the edges of dunes, and sometimes found among rocks. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, State Protected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Shasta Alligator Lizard is generally found in cooler, damper places in a variety of forested habitats. They can also be found in grassy grown-over areas at the edge of woodlands, in clear-cuts, near streams, and rock outcrops. They find cover under rocks, logs, and dense vegetation. The Shasta Alligator Lizard is only found in the extreme Northwest part of Nevada. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, State Protected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Sierra Alligator Lizard is generally found in cooler, damper places in a variety of forested habitats, and is found in higher altitudes than other subspecies. The Sierra Alligator Lizard is only found in the Sierra Nevada and adjacent areas in western Nevada. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: The Western Brush Lizard can be found in desert washes & drainages and flat areas with loose sand & gravel. It is often found on the branches of shrubs and trees. In Nevada, it is only found in the southern part of the state. (NDOW)
NV state status: Priority Species, Unprotected; federal column on NDOW page: Least Concern
What the sources say
Habitat: These skinks can be found in a wide variety of habitats including grasslands, desert shrub, and pinyon-juniper stands. They prefer to be near water and avoid areas with dense vegetation. They are found in southwestern and southern Nevada. (NDOW)
No confirmed photo of Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Yellow-backed Spiny Lizard
Sceloporus uniformis
Not stated
Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Habitat: The Zebra-tailed lizard is a resident of the southwestern United States and Baja California. It is distributed from northwestern Nevada down into the Mojave Desert and can be found in elevations up to 5,000 feet. (NDOW)
NPS says Gila monster hatchlings are sometimes confused with the banded gecko, a small, thin-skinned lizard. Hatchlings are much larger than an adult banded gecko.
AZGFD: the chuckwalla has small granular body scales; the Gila monster has large bead-like scales. NPS: the Gila monster has bright orange to salmon-pink bands over black skin and a swollen tail.
Photo: Joshua Tree National Park · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Desert iguana Not stated
Arizona Game and Fish: the desert iguana has a small, blunt head, a long tail and short, stocky limbs, with a single row of enlarged, pointed scales down the middle of the back.
Mediterranean house gecko or Western banded gecko?
In Arizona, the small pale tubercles (bumps) on the upper surfaces set the Mediterranean house gecko apart from the similar-looking western banded gecko.
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When lizards are active in Nevada
Records of lizards in Nevada peak in April to July. They show when people record lizards, not how many there are (about month bars).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
1,548 records of lizards in Nevada by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).
Gila monsters brumate November through March (NDOW). NDOW
If you are bitten or stung
Call 911 or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away. Poison Help connects you to your local poison center, any time of day.
Official advice from NDOW:
If a Gila monster is found in the wild, leave it alone; it is illegal to handle or harm one unless it poses a public safety threat. NDOW
How to report
NDOW dispatch 775-688-1331 for wildlife emergencies and residential mountain lion sightings; Las Vegas area urban wildlife hotline 702-668-3551 for venomous reptiles that threaten safety; reptile sightings to [email protected]; poaching to Operation Game Thief 1-800-992-3030 (NDOW page). NDOW
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