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Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Lizards Around Las Vegas, Wildlife Around Las Vegas
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard male: big and cold

General Description: Great Basin Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes) are medium-sized, rough-scaled lizards. Males have dark blue patches on the sides of the belly, and the throat is blue. Around Las Vegas, these can be difficult to tell from Desert Spiny Lizards (dark bar on the side of the neck) and Sagebrush Lizards (rusty sides).

Around Las Vegas, Great Basin Fence Lizards occur at higher elevations such as up on Mt. Charleston where the easiest place to see them is along the Desert Overlook Trail.

Taxonomy: Phrynosomatid Lizard Family (Phrynosomatidae).

Technical Description: Great Basin Fence Lizards grow to about 7 inches (total length). The dorsal scales are keeled and spiny, but less so than in Spiny Lizards. The dorsal coloration ranges from gray to brown to black with dark blotches or stripes on the back that continue down the tail. Yellow or orange on the rear surfaces of the limbs. Scale count between interparietals and rear of thigh 35 to 51. Complete supraorbital semicircles. Scales on back of thigh mostly keeled.

Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard male: blue throat patch entire (not divided)

In males, the ventral surface is gray with dark blue patches edged with black on the sides of the belly. The throat is entirely dark blue. The dorsal pattern on males is longitudinal stripes. Males may darken with age.

In females, the ventral surface is gray with little if any blue. The dorsal pattern on females is crossbars. Juveniles of both genders look like adult females.

Diet: Insects and spiders.

Habitat: In our area, these are mountain lizards. They are found from the coast to the mountains, but not in the low desert. They are often found on elevated perches such as fence posts and rocks, but usually on or near the ground.

Range: This species ranges from central Washington south into Baja California and from the Pacific Coast east to western Utah. In Nevada, this species occurs throughout the state except not in the lower-elevation deserts.

Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard male: yellow on back of legs

Breeding: Mating occurs in late spring; as many as 10 eggs per clutch are laid beginning in July, and hatchlings begin to emerge in August.

Similar Species:

Sagebrush Lizard: Size smaller, scales less keeled; ventral surfaces of legs white (not yellow or orange); armpits, sides of body with rust color.

Desert Spiny Lizard: Size larger; scales more keeled; dark wedge or triangle on side of neck.

Comments: These lizards are often called Blue-bellies or Swifts.

Many species of lizards can darken their scales when cold to absorb more solar radiation and warm up more quickly. When warn, they can lighten their scales to reflect more solar radiation to stay cooler.

Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard female on Ponderosa Pine
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard female on Ponderosa Pine
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard male: old, black lizard in breeding condition
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult male: breeding condition
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult male
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult male
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female, possibly gravid
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female; breeding condition
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult male
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Dark Great Basin Fence Lizard, dorsal pattern
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Dark Great Basin Fence Lizard: note orange on leg
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard juvenile female
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard juvenile
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult male: note striped dorsal pattern
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Close-up view of keeled scales on the dorsum
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult male: ventral pattern
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Adult male: enlarged femoral pores and postanal scales
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Adult male: blue belly-patch edged with black
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
A real Las Vegas lounge lizard, here relaxing (playing dead)
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female: reduced colors
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Adult female: note lack of enlarged postanal scales
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Adult female: small femoral pores
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Adult female: note orange on back of leg
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard old adult male
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis longipes)
Great Basin Fence Lizard old adult male
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard young adult male with breeding colors
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard female: note small blue throat patch
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female: cranial scales
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female: facial scales
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female: eyelid and jaw scales
Great Basin Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Great Basin Fence Lizard adult female: throat scales

Note: All distances, elevations, and other facts are approximate.
copyright; Last updated 231214

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