Named for their distinctive black bands that look like a collar, collared lizards offer something for nearly any lizard keeper. They are hardy and have simple care and breeding requirements. Their diurnal nature means they are active during the same hours as most people. They are bold and are large enough to observe even from a distance. Combined with their beautiful coloration, this makes collared lizards a lovely display lizard for naturalistic terrarium enthusiasts. They are large enough to allow for easy handling and they become tame quickly. Yet they are small enough that terrarium space requirements are reasonable, and cleaning up after them is easy. They have a wide natural distribution across the southwestern United States into Mexico and come in a variety of colors and patterns depending on locality. Keepers of collared lizards often end up collecting many color variants! 

Aquaflames are a naturally occurring locale from Oklahoma known for their large size and rich coloration. Males have a beautiful aquamarine-colored base with vibrant yellow on the head and shoulders that fades as it travels down the back. Under the throat is often more orange than yellow. Females show lots of deep orange banding during the breeding season, which lasts most of the summer.

We keep and breed these lizards year-round in both indoor and outdoor terraria here in Central Virginia in zone 7a.