Collard Lizard

First a big Thank You to the new countries visiting our Blog:  Estonia, Malta, Botswana, Ghana, Moldova, Uruguay, and Aruba. 

Returning to the series on my alphabetical list of "5" Star Photos we come to the Collard Lizard. Initially, this was a "4" Star Photo. It became a "5" Star Photo over a period of time. Let me explain. Christine and I were hiking in Sabino Canyon, Arizona (Rattlesnake Trail) when we first moved to Tucson in 2002. We came across this Collard Lizard who was sunbathing on a warm rock. He let me take several photos -- never moving. Finally, we walked around him and continued our journey. Admittedly, he is strikingly beautiful, but I assumed we would see them wherever we hiked. I also assumed this was his regular coloration. Wrong in both cases. This is not the most common lizard in Southern Arizona. And, this is a "breeding" coloration not his normal coloration. Truth be told, I have not seen another Collard Lizard this "colorful" since. So, an upgrade to "5" seem in order.

Collard Lizard, Sabino Canyon, Arizona