About Blue Belly Lizards

Blue belly lizards are interesting members of the reptile family. They're bright and colorful on their undersides--and very fast. Despite this often vivid belly coloring, their backs are typically darkly colored, making them very difficult to spot in their western U.S. habitats.

Definition

The blue belly lizard belongs to the genus Sceloporus, with at least five sub-species. Considered a spiny lizard, it is also called a Western fence or swift lizard. Fully grown, the colorful reptiles measure about 6 inches long.

Coloring

Blue belly lizards are usually dark gray, black or greenish brown on their backs. The male lizards give the species its name, with bright blue patches on their stomachs and under their legs. In some cases, the male blue belly lizard is speckled with blue all over its body. Although female blue belly lizards do exhibit some of the males' coloring, it is far less bright and noticeable. Often, males expose their blue bellies in a show of territorial control.

Habits and Diet

The blue belly lizard eats mostly insects and spiders. Like many reptiles, it thrives in heat, often basking in the sun; this makes it vulnerable to predation by birds and snakes. Fortunately, like the chameleon, the blue belly lizard is able to change colors when in danger, blending in with its environment, and is extremely fast.
Mating season for the blue belly lizard is in late spring and early summer. The female blue belly can lay as many as 10 eggs, which generally hatch in August.

Natural Habitats

The blue belly lizard is indigenous to California (where it is most common), as well as parts of Utah, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho and several islands off the coast of California. They do not live in the desert and are common in regions with higher elevations. True to their name, the reptiles are partial to relaxing on fence posts, as well as tree trunks and shrubs.

Blue Belly Lizards and Lyme Disease

The blue belly lizard may have a neutralizing effect on ticks that carry Lyme disease. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley discovered in 1998 that Lyme disease bacteria carried by ticks die when the ticks feed off blue belly lizards. This may be why areas more populated with the reptile tend to have a lower incidence of Lyme disease than areas where the blue belly lizard is not common.