Thursday, May 5, 2011

Corralitas Drive: Drag Queen Lizard


Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 5, 2011.  A male Great Basin Fence Lizard was giving a territorial display for my camera this morning.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

According to CaliforniaHerps.comFence Lizards are the most often seen lizard in the state due to its living in populated areas and "conspicuous behavior."   Doing push-ups and flashing his colors, he certainly caught my eye. 
Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 5, 2011.  He has two different shades of blue on his neck and chest, and yellow inner thighs.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)  

They eat spiders, ticks, crickets and scorpions.  There's a good fly population near his territory too - the last Stinkhorn Fungus came up a few feet away from his rocky hangout in my yard.  

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 5, 2011.  His back is flecked with a slight metallic green.  He is about 7" long, from snout to tip of tail.  Twenty one years in this neighborhood and I've never seen a lizard like this! (Click on photo to enlarge.)