Keep Your Eyes Peeled!

Can you #FindThatLizard?!

With it being unseasonably warm this spring, our western fence lizards are already becoming more and more active.

If you live anywhere near them, you may already have seen the males fighting over territory. First, they do pushups at each other to see if they can settle the conflict from afar. The pushups show off the blue coloration on their bellies. The darker the blue, the more mature the male.

If this doesn’t work, they may run up to each other and do pushups closer to really size each other up. When a victor hasn’t been chosen this way, they may physically fight by lashing tails and biting. The fight continues until one male chases the other off.

The males are becoming even more territorial because mating season is approaching!

Normally western fence lizards mate in late spring or early summer. The females typically lay their eggs 2-4 weeks after copulation and they can have up to 3 clutches each year. When they are ready to lay their eggs, the females will dig a hole in moist and loose soil. Parental care ends when the female covers her nest with soil.

The eggs typically hatch between July and September.

Let me know in the comments if you #FoundThatLizard!