Reptiles
Eastern Fence Lizard
Sceloporus undulatus · also called prairie lizard, pine lizard
A male eastern fence lizard perches on a weathered fence post, performing a rapid push-up display that flashes vivid blue patches along his belly toward a rival further down the same post. This exact behaviour has been documented and studied so thoroughly that it has become a textbook example in lizard behavioural research.
Overview
The eastern fence lizard, Sceloporus undulatus, is a rough-scaled, common lizard native to forest and open habitat across the eastern and central United States. Its vivid blue belly display and status as a heavily studied research subject make it one of the more scientifically significant lizard species in North America.
A lizard that became a research standard
Few lizard species have contributed as much to scientific understanding of reptile territorial behaviour as the eastern fence lizard, its abundant populations and clearly visible blue-flash displays making it an ideal, endlessly revisited subject for behavioural ecologists.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable forest and open habitat throughout the eastern and central United States.
Eastern Fence Lizard: common questions
Why do male eastern fence lizards do push-ups?
A male eastern fence lizard performs a distinctive push-up display, raising and lowering its body to flash the vivid blue patches on its belly and throat at rival males or potential mates, a behaviour used to assert territory and signal fitness during both territorial disputes and courtship interactions.
Why is the eastern fence lizard used so often in scientific research?
The eastern fence lizard has become one of the most extensively studied lizard species in North American behavioural ecology research, valued for its accessible, abundant populations and clearly observable territorial and courtship displays, making it a convenient and informative subject for researchers studying lizard signalling behaviour.
Why does the eastern fence lizard feel rough to the touch?
An eastern fence lizard has notably rough, keeled scales giving it a spiny texture, a feature reflected in its genus name Sceloporus, and this texture helps distinguish it from smoother-scaled lizards such as skinks that may share similar habitat.
Where does the eastern fence lizard live?
The eastern fence lizard is native to forest, woodland edge, and grassland habitat across the eastern and central United States, and its adaptability to disturbed and suburban environments, including actual fences and structures, has helped it remain common across much of this range.