[2] The striped plateau lizard originates from the northern Sierra Madre Occidental and is relatively small in size, measuring less than 72 mm (2.8 in) in length.

This term represents the distinct, light line with a dark band below it on the dorsal surface of the striped plateau lizard.

There is another lightly shaded, lateral stripe located low on each side of the lizard, going from the neck to the groin area.

The ventral underside of the striped plateau lizard, particularly the belly area, is a solid cream in color, with no pattern.

However, near the throat, there is a small, faint green or pale blue spot ventrally on the adult lizards.

A curved cornea is an image-forming lens due to the difference in refractive indices between air and corneal tissue.

[5] The striped plateau lizard is primarily a terrestrial and montane species since they reside on land, particularly in the temperate forest and in the moist savanna.

As the images to the right depict, the striped plateau lizard tends to favor hard and rough surfaces on the ground like rocks, leaf litter, logs, and scattered grasses.

[6] With the striped plateau lizard being a montane population, it is isolated geographically by the semi-desert grassland and by the desert-scrub valleys, which are now inhospitable for many other species.

[5] When females mature at around 50 mm (2.0 in) in body length, they typically lay a clutch consisting between three and eighteen eggs.

[6] The striped plateau lizard are diurnal as they are active during the daytime and sleep and remain inactive during the nighttime.

[3] Signals are vital to communicating and conveying information well, and Sceloporus lizards combine visual and chemical displays to defend territories and attract mates.

In S. virgatus specifically, loss of the color signal is correlated with an increase in chemical behavior but no change in the use of the motion display.

Male striped plateau lizards, for instance, use both visual motion with head-bobs, and they use chemical signals to identify their territory and its boundaries.

Secondly, the loss of blue belly patches correlates with a lower chance that lizards have evolved arboreality or viviparity.