This lizard is grayish-brown with white spots on the head and back and a distinctive white-bordered black collar around the neck.
Males have a blue-green sheen to their backs and a blue chin, throat and belly during mating season. Young animals and females lack this colouration.
They are good climbers of rocks and trees, but can also often be found on the ground.
They are called spiny lizards because of their large, pointed scales. The spines may deter some predators. The tail can break off as an escape mechanism.
