Happy as a lizard on a warm rock
Marsha Morris took this photo of a Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) sunning itself on a rock.
With spring approaching, these common lizards have started to reappear — at least on warmer, sunnier days. On cold days they remain in their nighttime hiding spots and don’t emerge again until the next warm day.
It is usually the smaller Western Fence lizards that become active first, and the larger ones emerge when warmer temperatures become more reliable.
Western Fence Lizards are commonly known as “Bluebellies” because of two beautiful blue stripes along the underside of their belly. They also have blue under their chin. Males are typically much more colorful than females, and in their heightened vibrancy that accompanies breeding season, the males’ coloration can be almost indigo blue.
Western Fence Lizards are found primarily around boulders, wood piles, fallen logs, wooden fence posts and similar habitats that provide them with shelter, places for basking and a source of invertebrates for them to consume, like beetles, spiders, crickets, craneflies, etc.
A protein in the blood of Bluebelly lizards kills the bacterium found in Lyme Disease, so if a tick attaches itself and feeds on a Western Fence Lizard, by the time it drops off, it no longer carries Lyme Disease.
Many different predators feed on Bluebellies, including most snakes, Greater Roadrunners, Northern Shrikes, Kestrels, foxes, and others.
The Nuwä (Kawaiisu or Southern Paiute) word for Western
Fence Lizard is wogosinazi, pronounced wo-go-si-naz.
NATURAL SIGHTINGS is a regular feature of the Tehachapi News edited by Jon Hammond which showcases photos of the natural beauty that enhances the quality of life in Tehachapi. If you have a good quality image of plants, animals, insects, trees, birds, weather phenomena, etc., taken in the Tehachapi area, submit it to the Tehachapi News. Submissions can be dropped by the News office in the form of a print or CD, or sent by email to: editorial@tehachapinews.com.