Blue Belly Lizard Facts

The blue belly lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) is also known as the western fence lizard. Western fence lizards have earned this name because they can often be found basking on the tops of fence rails.

Identification

Blue bellied lizards are about 6 inches long including the tail. Their coloring is usually gray or black, but adult males of this species have blue or green underbellies.

Geography

These lizards live in the western portion of the United States. They can be found as far north as Southwestern Canada and as far south as Baja California.

Habitat

Western fence lizards can be found in habitats ranging from sage scrub to forests. They live in rock piles and tree trunks. This species cannot survive in desert areas.

Diet

Blue belly lizards are carnivorous. They eat a variety of insects including spiders, ants, flies and beetles.

Benefits

According to Kathleen Scalise, author of the 1998 article "Lizard May Act as Lyme Disease Panacea" published in the "Berkeleyan" newspaper, western fence lizards have a protein in their blood that kills the bacteria which causes Lyme disease. Young ticks that feed on these lizards can no longer spread the disease.

References

• San Francisco State University Department of Geography: The Biogeography of Sceloporus Occidentalis
• San Diego Natural History Museum: Sceloporus Occidentalis
• Idaho Museum of Natural History: Sceloporus Occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard)
• Berkeleyan: Lizard May Act as Lyme Disease Panacea