Fringe-toed lizards are characterized by their fringed scales on their hind toes which make locomotion in loose sand possible.

During March and April, this species of lizard is active for fewer hours in comparison to its close Uma relatives due to the cooler temperature of the Mojave desert.

[6] The Mojave fringe-toed lizard reaches sexual maturity during its second year, and its mating season is around late spring.

[6] The lizard primarily feeds on invertebrates which live near the surface such as ants, beetles, scorpions, hemipterans, spiders, antlion larvae, and grasshoppers.

[3] The elevational range of their habitat is from sea level up to 3000 ft.[10] The Mojave fringe-toed lizard has a number of predators in its environment, consisting of roadrunners, badgers, loggerhead shrikes, coyotes, and various snakes.

Habitat loss can also be attributed to increased toxins from military operations, urban development, air pollution, and global warming.