Whiptails forage actively on the ground near the base of vegetation taking a wide variety of ground-dwelling invertebrate including grasshoppers, beetles, ants, termites, insect larvae, and spiders (Stebbins 1954). Individuals often probe cracks and crevices and dig in loose soil as they forage. Whiptails occasionally appear to stalk larger prey items such as grasshoppers. Individuals have been observed breaking up termite galleries in dead vegetation. Vitt and Ohmart (1977) reported that the diet of whiptails may change seasonally to reflect the abundance of seasonally available prey items. The footage below was taken on our San Andreas Fault Tour.