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Project Noah Nature School
Sceloporus undulatus
This lizard had a red spot on one side of it, but not on the other. I was told that this was most likely from a mite that had buried itself in the lizard. In the first and second pictures, you can see the left side of its head. In the third picture, the right side with the red spot.
On top of some wood at Snake Road in southern Illinois.
Sorry for the slightly out-of-focus pictures...
Spotted on Sep 22, 2013
Submitted on Oct 14, 2013
4 Comments
Oh ok, thanks! I guess it was just bigger than the other babies we saw.
This is another Eastern Fence Lizard like your other spotting. S. undulatus. The only lizard like it in Illinois.
Cool thanks for the info!
The red spot shows indeed mites. Many lizards have a concentrated spot where the mites gather. In species here in Thailand they have red spots on their ankles or arm pits. It is believed that it makes it more "bearable" when on one spot, other than over the whole body.