© Robert Siegel
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Western Fence Lizard - Sceloporus occidentalis

Please see update page here:
https://web.stanford.edu/~siegelr/animalz/fencelizard.html

Order: Squamata
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Genus: Sceloporus
Species: Sceloporus occidentalis

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Felt Lake

Western fence lizard

western fence lizard

Photographing Nature class
October 18, 2014
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Blue belly

western fence lizard
Felt Lake
Autumn, 2011
Photographing Nature course

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Año Nuevo

Lazy as a lizard?

lizard

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Initial Lyme of defense

lizard

In a curious bit of disease ecology, the western fence lizard appears to protect against Lyme disease.

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Against the grain

western fence lizard
Western fence lizard
March 2014

Fellow docent Lorrie Klosterman has suggested that the lizards that hang out on this dark piece of wood (from the wreck of the Point Arena) are much darker in color than the typical Western fence lizard.

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Stanford Dish

The tail of the western fence lizard

the 
stanford safari

Western fence lizards have a physiological mechanism to release their tails as a defence strategy. As seen in this picture, the tail continues to wiggle even after it is detached.

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Lizard on the radar

egret with lizards
The egret spotted the lizards from far away and began to stalk them.
He did a waggle dance with his head
By following his gaze, it was easy to spot his intended target, even before predator and prey both fit on the same canera frame

Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

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Nailed him

egret with lizard
Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

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Inspecting the meal

egret with lizard
Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

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Belly blue

egret with lizard
Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

You can see the lizard's blue abdominal streaks. And the green mating coloration around the egret's eye.

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This has gotta hurt

egret with lizard
Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
March, 2014

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Beetle tartar

western fence lizard eating beetle
The Stanford Dish
May 29, 2014

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Modified: December 8, 2017
created: November 27, 2011
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.