the.com/fence lizard
A pushup-cranking yard reptile whose blood literally turns ticks fatal.
means A small, spiny North American lizard of the genus Sceloporus, often seen basking on fences, logs, and rocks, where males bob and do pushup-like displays to defend territory.
from A plain English compound: "fence" plus "lizard," named for exactly where Americans most often spotted it — sunning on wooden rail fences. The genus name Sceloporus comes from Greek skelos "leg" and poros "pore," pointing to the row of femoral pores on the lizard's thighs. The common name is purely descriptive habitat-naming, the same impulse that gives us "house cat" and "barn owl."
- tick killer
- Their blood protein kills Lyme bacteria inside feeding ticks
- blue belly
- Males flash electric-blue throat and belly patches
- pushup display
- They bob and flex to claim turf and impress mates
- tail drop
- Detaches its tail to escape, then regrows it
- sun worshipper
- Basks on fences and rocks to regulate body heat
eastern fence lizard — common lizard across eastern north america, does 'push-ups' to show dominance and attract mates
western fence lizard — found from british columbia to baja california, has blue patches on belly and throat
plateau fence lizard — native to colorado plateau region, smaller than eastern species with distinctive spiny scales