Western Fence Lizard
Sceloporus occidentalis · Reptile, Vertebrate, Cold-blooded, Wild
Animal Family
Family Phrynosomatidae, Order Squamata, Class Reptilia
Animal Category
Reptile/Amphibian
Breed / Variety
Sceloporus occidentalis (several subspecies exist including S. o. occidentalis, S. o. biseriatus)
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern with a stable population trend, facing localized threats from habitat loss and urbanization
About This Creature
Small to medium-sized lizard with rough, keeled scales providing excellent camouflage against tree bark and rocks. Grey, brown, or yellowish-brown with dark crossbars or blotches along the back. Males often feature bright blue patches on the throat and belly.
Physical Characteristics
Flattened body, robust limbs with sharp claws for climbing, distinct keeled scales giving a spiny appearance, relatively long tail that can autotomize when threatened, broad head with distinct neck, and round eyes with movable eyelids
Behavior & Temperament
Diurnal and active, highly territorial males do push-up displays to ward off rivals, excellent climbers, feeds on insects and spiders, flees to crevices or up trees when startled
Habitat & Diet
Origin Region
Western North America, ranging from Washington and Oregon down through California, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and into northern Baja California, Mexico
Habitat
Forest, woodland, chaparral, grassland, and desert; typically terrestrial and arboreal, often found basking on rocks, logs, and tree trunks
Diet & Nutrition
Insectivorous, feeding primarily on beetles, ants, spiders, grasshoppers, caterpillars, and other small arthropods
Lifespan & Health
Typically lives 3 to 5 years in the wild; preyed upon by birds of prey, snakes, and domestic cats; exhibits high immunity to Lyme disease due to a blood protein that kills the bacterium in feeding ticks
Special Characteristics
Possesses bactericidal blood properties that neutralize Lyme disease-causing bacteria transmitted by ticks, making them an important natural check on Lyme disease transmission
Ecological Information
Acts as both predator to various insect populations and prey for larger carnivores and birds, playing a vital role in local food webs and regulating arthropod numbers