Coast Range Fence Lizard

Description:

A fairly small lizard with keeled and pointed dorsal scales of equal size on the back, sides, and belly. Scales on the backs of the thighs are mostly keeled, and abruptly smaller, and the rear of the limbs is yellow or orange. The sides of the belly are blue. Color is brown, gray, or black with blotches. Sometimes light markings on the sides of the back form stripes or irregular lines, and sometimes dark blotching may form irregular bands. Males have blue markings on the sides of the belly edged in black, a blue patch on the throat, enlarged postanals, and a swollen tail base. Some scales on the back become blue or greenish when a lizard is in the light phase. Females have faint or absent blue markings on the belly, no blue or green color on the upper surfaces, and dark bars or crescents on the back. Juveniles have little or no blue on the throat and faint blue belly markings or none at all.