Call for Submissions

Can you #FindThatLizard?!

I want to thank Jaclyn Cosgrove, @jacinthewild.la, for submitting this week’s challenge photo of TWO western fence lizards, Sceloporus occidentalis. If you have a photo you’d like to submit, go to https://earynmcgee.com/submit-a-photo . I’m always open to submissions!

Now on to the western fence lizards. As you can see in the reference photos above, they have beautiful blue patches on their bellies. The darker the blue, the more mature the male. When they do their famous push-ups, they’re communicating their dominance to potential rivals. This posturing often prevents physical fights, which could cause injury.

Often, when I see a lone western fence lizard doing their pushups, I take a moment to scan the area. Before long, the other lizard it is posturing to reveals itself!

I hope you #FoundThatLizard! Let me know in the comments.