Common Side Blotched Lizard

Description:

Side-blotched lizards are notable for having the highest number of distinct male and female morphs or "genders" within a species: three male and two female. Orange-throated males are "ultra-dominant, high testosterone", who establish large territories and control multiple females. Yellow stripe-throated males ("sneakers") do not defend territory at all, but cluster on the fringes of orange-throated lizard territories, and mate with their females while the orange-throat is absent, as the territory to defend is large. Blue-throated males are less aggressive and guard only one female; they can fend off the yellow stripe-throated males but cannot withstand attacks by orange-throated males. Orange-throated females lay many small eggs and are very territorial. Yellow-throated females lay fewer, larger eggs, and are more tolerant of each other. The orange and blue-throated males will even boldly approach a human intruder, to give his female(s) a chance to escape. When she is safe, he will join her in a hole, or under a rock. This is called the rock paper scissors effect as like the playground game the outcome of the mating success shows that one morph of the lizard takes advantage over another but not over the third.