One of the 9 wall lizards on WAnimals
Reptiles · Squamata · Phrynosomatidae
Eastern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
The eastern fence lizard is one of the commonest lizards in the eastern United States, greyish brown, with the male showing two patches of intense blue on the belly. It owes its name to its habit of basking on fences and wooden posts. It is the subject of a celebrated case of rapid evolution in the face of invasive fire ants.
Weight
8 g on average
Size
10 cm – 19 cm
Lifespan
5 years
Diet
Insectivore
Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.
Activity
Diurnal
Active mainly during the day.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- reproducciónThe males have blue patches on the belly, shown off in characteristic press-ups to see off rivals and attract females.
- It has evolved in the face of an invader within a few decades: in areas colonised by the red imported fire ant, populations of this lizard have developed longer legs and a shaking behaviour that lets them throw the ants off, changes measurable over some seventy years.
- The male has two patches of intense blue on his belly that he shows only when doing territorial press-ups, compressing his body sideways to display them.
- It is one of North America's most studied lizards in behavioural ecology and thermal physiology, with decades of monitoring of particular populations.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (reptile)
- Habitat & environment
- Open woodland, clearings, fences, walls and scrub of the eastern and central United States
- Sexual maturity
- 3 years
- Gestation / incubation
- 60 days of incubation
- Litter / clutch size
- 8 eggs
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 21 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Eastern Fence Lizard — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Texas Horned Lizard
Phrynosoma cornutum
Eastern Mole
Scalopus aquaticus
Common Nighthawk
Chordeiles minor
American Golden Plover
Pluvialis dominica
Northern Flicker
Colaptes auratus
Eastern Phoebe
Sayornis phoebe
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