Thanks to all for the very kind comments. I will try and answer some of the questions posed by several of you:
Gerry: there is no such thing as a dumb question. Just looking at the images, it does appear to be two animals in breeding mode. However, as monklet stated, it really looked more like a wrestling bout than anything else. The image below shows what happened a couple of times when one of the males appeared to throw the other male about. Soon after this image was taken, the animal (belly up in the image) disappeared into a huge granite slab.
Monklet: Thanks very much for the input. I am definitely interested in your free-ranging captive set-up. Is it an enclosure that provides animals with an outdoor experience? If you don’t mind, please elaborate…..thanks…..
Scotttriv: Definitely staged….lol….NOT….I appreciate the kind comments….I do wonder if the great Brian Hubbs has observed combat in these animals….wouldn’t be surprised if he did….
Zach_Lim: Yes they are
multicinta…I too have never observed combat behavior in anything other than a Crotalid….which is still a very very cool thing to see….
condyle: it would be nice to see something like this in a tri-color that was a tad more tri-colored, like
multifasciata….lol
Bill Love: Thanks for the kind comment….how have you been enjoying your new home? I am sure you are loving it….
rsmith: Both males soon disappeared into the same large fissure (under that dried up piece of wood shown in both images)….there was no sign of the female, but I am sure one was somewhere close by…
Ross Padilla: Thanks very much for the kind comment…
Will Wells: I have observed combat behavior only once in whiptail lizards…as a child. Thanks for the very kind comments.