Species on page:

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)

Common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)

Hanging in there

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Felt Lake 2019
February 16, 2019
Canon 7D Mark II

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Photographing Nature class
Felt Lake 2019
February 16, 2019
Canon 7D Mark II

Western fence lizard

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Photographing Nature class
Felt Lake
October 18, 2014

Blue belly

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Felt Lake
Photographing Nature course
Autumn, 2011

Lazy as a lizard?

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Año Nuevo
2009

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Stanford Dish
January 16, 2022
Canon 7Dmark2

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Crystal Springs Golf Course
August 3, 2020
Canon 7DmarkII

Initial Lyme of defense

In a curious bit of disease ecology, the western fence lizard appears to protect against Lyme disease.

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)

Against the grain

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)
Año Nuevo
March 2014

Fellow docent Lorrie Klosterman has suggested that the lizards that hang out on this dark piece of wood (from the wreck of the Point Arena) are much darker in color than the typical Western fence lizard.

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Sam McDonald Park - 2020
June 10, 2020
Canon 7D markII

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Sam McDonald Park - 2020
June 10, 2020
Canon 7D markII

WFL

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Emily Renzel Wetlands
March, 2021
Canon 7Dmark2

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Wunderlich Park 2021
August 10, 2021 with Ben Fohner
Canon R5

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Sam McDonald Park - 2020
June 10, 2020
Canon 7D markII

Off fence

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)
Emily Renzel Wetlands
July 26, 2020
Canon 7Dmark2

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)
Arizona Cactus Garden
June 27, 2021
Canon 7Dmark2

Stanford Dish

WFL

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)
Stanford Dish
June 8, 2025
Canon R5m2

The tail of the western fence lizard

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
The Stanford Dish
September, 2013

Western fence lizards have a physiological mechanism to release their tails as a defence strategy.
As seen in this picture, the tail continues to wiggle even after it is detached.

Lizard on the radar

The egret spotted the lizards from far away and began to stalk them.
He did a waggle dance with his head
By following his gaze, it was easy to spot his intended target, even before predator and prey both fit on the same canera frame

Great Egret (Ardea alba) with Western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

Nailed him

Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

Inspecting the meal

Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

Belly blue

Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
April 7, 2014

You can see the lizard's blue abdominal streaks. And the green mating coloration around the egret's eye.

This has gotta hurt

Great Egret (Ardea alba) with western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
March, 2014

Beetle tartar

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
The Stanford Dish
May 29, 2014

WFL

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Hellyer Park City Challenge Bioblitz
April 28, 2019
Canon 7Dmark2

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Bioblitz 2019
Lagunita
April 20, 2019
Canon 7DmarkII

Lost tail scar

Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Family: Phrynosomatidae
Stanford Dish
July 9, 2021
Canon 7Dmark2

Tick nymphs on western fence lizard

Tick ()
Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis)
Scott and Phyllis
July 17, 2018
Olympus Tough TG5

Common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)

Common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)
Santa Cruz, Channel Islands
May 15, 2023
Canon 7D Mark II

Tailless lizard

Common side-blotched lizard (Uta stansburiana)
Family: Phrynosomatidae (phrynosomatid lizards)
Santa Cruz, Channel Islands
May 15, 2023
Canon R5

Last modified: June 10, 2025
Created: November 27, 2011
Contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.