Taking refuge in the dense foliage of the open chaparral and the shade beneath coastal sage, the Orange-throated Whiptail (Aspidoscelis hyperythra) does not stay out in the open land due to fear of predators, making it difficult to see as it darts from bush to bush.

The Orange-throated Whiptail is non-venomous. It has stripes from head to tail and is reddish brown in color with a bluish stomach and orange throat, unlike the Tiger Whiptail, which is spotted and has a much larger body. The Orange-throated Whiptail feeds on spiders, scorpions, termites, centipedes, small invertebrates, and small lizards.

Learn more about the Orange-throated Whiptail in San Diego County by visiting theNAT’s Amphibian and Reptile Atlas of Peninsular California.

PHOTO CREDIT: Public Domain