- Chuckwallas are stocky, wide-bodied lizards with flattened midsections and prominent bellies
- Their tails are thick, tapering to a blunt tip
- Loose folds of skin characterize the neck and sides of their bodies, which are covered in small, coarsely granular scales
- The common chuckwalla measures about 15.75 inches long, whereas insular species such as the San Esteban chuckwalla of San Esteban Island can measure as long as 30 inches
- They are sexually dimorphic, with males having reddish-pink to orange, yellow, or light gray bodies and black heads, shoulders, and limbs; females and juveniles have bodies with scattered spots or contrasting bands of light and dark in shades of gray or yellow
- Males are generally larger than females and possess well-developed femoral pores located on the inner sides of their thighs; these pores produce secretions believed to play a role in marking territory