Like most other species of whiptail lizards, the Marbled Whiptail is diurnal and insectivorous (eats insects). It is wary, energetic, and fast moving, darting for cover if approached (making it difficult to photograph). Its preferred habitat is semiarid, sandy areas with sparse vegetation, or the open edges of wooded areas. Breeding takes place in the spring, with up to four eggs laid sometime in the month of May. The eggs hatch in six to eight weeks. A second clutch of eggs is occasionally laid in mid summer. Hatchlings look much like the adults, except they have bright blue colored tails. The photo below was taken on our San Andreas Fault Tour.