Think you can do more push-ups than the granite spiny lizard (Sceloporus orcutti)? This little reptile might just be your next workout buddy. A male granite spiny lizard will perform a courtship push-up display – their presentation attempt to catch the eye of a female lizard that strikes his fancy. If successful in securing a mate, these lizards breed around March through April and produce a clutch of 8-15 eggs between May through August. Eventually eggs will hatch between July through October. So, you’re likely to see a lot of little granite spiny lizards running around.

Adult granite spiny lizards only tend to have a maximum home range of 56 feet in diameter and show strong site attachment–basically they are homebodies. While these lizards can move relatively great distances in a short period of time, they choose not to travel very far, and their movements can be restricted by dense vegetation and rocky terrain – so they are definitely not marathon runners.

At an average length of three to five inches, you might be tempted to think of this lizard as a fun, pocket-sized sidekick. Unfortunately, their dark prickly scales and tendency to bite upon being captured suggests otherwise. Capable of quickly running away from danger, this species can strategically detach their tail, leaving behind a wriggling distraction to evade predators from its body (don’t worry, their tails do grow back).

While the granite spiny lizard loves to bask in the heat and soak up the sun, you may also notice their striking colors. Males often display a vibrant blue on the throat and belly, sometimes extending all over their bodies. They may also have yellow and blue-green markings on their back and upper surfaces, in addition to a wide purple stripe on their back. Female lizards tend to be a little more subdued, having little or no blue coloration.

You may find the granite spiny lizard embodies the characteristics you are looking for in a new friend, but we must warn you not to get too attached. Weather and location may dictate when they enter hibernation. The lizard will enter hibernation by November and emerge again in January with their active period falling between March and September. Female lizards only live about five years, while male lizards can live up to 6 years.

The granite spiny lizard is primarily insectivorous, feeding on ants, beetles, bees, butterfly larvae, grasshoppers, sowbugs, and cicadas, but they have also been observed to eat leaf and flower buds, fleshy fruits, or even cannibalize on smaller individuals.

Thanks to the MSHCP, 408,216 acres of land have been described for conservation to support the granite spiny lizard, including the San Jacinto Mountains, Jurupa Mountains, and Box Springs Mountains – places where rocky terrain and scrub, chaparral, or woodland /forest habitats occur.