[2] The specific name, henshawi, is in honor of American naturalist Henry Wetherbee Henshaw.

It has rounded, dark dorsal spots on a pale yellow or cream background.

Its scales are granular on its dorsum, but large and squarish on the ventral surface.

This lizard has large eyes with vertical pupils, and it lacks eyelids.

[4] The granite night lizard is often found on rocky slopes with large exfoliating boulders and abundant crevices, but is occasionally found in coastal sage scrub and chaparral without boulders.