This species of lizard lives in a generally warm to hot climate all year round and spends most of its day on the side of vertical rock structures in the mountains, feeding on various types of insects, with an emphasis on ants.

The females have a black dorsum with a series of 4-6 red, cream, and green bands/large spots.

[5] The Black Lava Lizard shows clear signs of sexual dimorphism.

This results in the hind legs being relatively smaller to the rest of the body in adulthood than during adolescence.

[5] The Black Lava Lizard can be found on the eastern slopes of the Andes from southeastern Peru to the northwestern region of Argentina, passing through parts of Bolivia, such as La Paz.

[2] The species lives on vertical clifflike areas of tertiary sedimentary rocks[6] with gravel patches and very scarce vegetation.

[5] Black lava lizards are mainly insectivorous and show sexual differences in food habits as well.