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| I found this specimen in Cottonwood Valley, near the Late Night Trailhead. He was obviously enjoying his time in the sun, perhaps even dazed, as he never moved the whole time my hiking partner Tom and I circled closer and closer in an effort to capture a good picture. |
| Description: Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) are medium-sized, rough-scaled lizards. Males have dark blue patches on the undersides of the belly, and the throat is blue. They grow to about 7 inches (total length). The dorsal scales are keeled and spiny, but less so than in Spiny Lizards. The dorsal coloration ranges from gray to brown to black with dark blotches or stripes on the back that continue down the tail. These are mountain lizards often found on or near the ground, but not in the low desert. These lizards are commonly seen sunning on paths, rocks, and other high places, which makes them an easy target for predation by snakes, birds, and even some mammals. They protect themselves by employing their fast reflexes, which is common in many other lizards. The western fence lizard eats spiders and insects.This species ranges from central Washington south into Baja California and from the Pacific Coast east to western Utah. In Nevada, this species occurs throughout the state except in the lower-elevation deserts. |
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