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Eastern Fence Lizard

Sceloporus undulatus

Description:

4-7.25 inch spiny lizard. Commonly grayish in color, but may range from nearly black to brown. Females often have black horizontal patterning on their back, while during the breeding season, males have bright blue patches on their chin and underside.

Habitat:

Open forests, field edges.

Notes:

It's a common lizard here in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. The Latin name for it translates to "Leg" and "Wave" for the dark crossbars on their backs. Interestingly (to me at least) these lizards can be killed by the red imported fire ant in less than a minute! To that end, within the last 70 years, its legs have become longer in order to escape the fire ants. Wow, nature takes care of its own, huh?

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Ron Rockwell
Spotted by
Ron Rockwell

Tennessee, USA

Spotted on May 16, 2018
Submitted on Jul 16, 2018

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