Common Spotted Whiptail

— As many times as I have visited the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas, I often run into this tiny and fast lizard on the ground. The Center is known for its wildflowers and pollinators mostly. However, running into other wildlife is always fun. Just a month ago I was photographing some butterflies and saw a deer crossing the trail just a few feet away from me.

In late June 2021, I was getting ready to leave the Center when I noticed this small lizard near the pond by the bookstore. This is a common spotted whiptail, also known as the Texas spotted whiptail or Eastern spotted whiptail. I began making photos of it and noticed it was not afraid of me. I kept getting closer and closer. To my surprise, it was stationary and not moving. So, I got more daring and moved in closer. The photo you see above was made with my macro lens at a distance shorter than a foot (30 cm)! I guess the fact I was approaching it slowly might have given it time to get accustomed to my presence. Below I have another shot from a longer distance. When I made the photo above, the camera lens was approximately by that line on the rock at the bottom of the photo below. Needless to say I was ecstatic to have gotten that close to this friendly lizard.

According to Wikipedia, these whiptail lizards grow to “6.5 to 11 inches (17 to 28 cm) in total length (including tail). It is typically a tan brown or green-brown in color, with a pattern of seven distinct grey or white stripes that run the length of the body, and stop at the tail, with light colored spots along the sides.” As you can see in the photo below, “the tail is long compared to the body, usually close to three times the body length.”