Eastern Fence Lizard: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Lizards · day 5 of 7

Five facts

1. When stinging fire ants swarm it, a fence lizard shakes its body in quick twitches to fling them off, then dashes away.
2. In some areas, fence lizards have evolved longer legs and new escape moves in just 70 years, to get away from invading fire ants.
3. Oddly, this lizard runs faster uphill than downhill on the same slope.
4. In early spring, males claim a patch of ground by doing push-ups that flash the bright blue scales on their belly at rivals.
5. In 1942, 29 of these lizards were released on Staten Island in New York. Their descendants still live there today.

The quiz

1. How does a fence lizard get rid of attacking fire ants?

• It rolls in water
• It twitches its body to throw them off (correct)
• It eats them all
• It sheds its skin

It twitches to fling the ants off, then flees.

2. What body change helped some fence lizards escape fire ants?

• Thicker scales
• A shorter tail
• Longer legs (correct)
• Bigger eyes

In some regions they evolved longer legs within about 70 years.

3. On a slope, when does the eastern fence lizard run faster?

• Going downhill
• Going uphill (correct)
• Only on flat ground
• Only backwards

It runs faster uphill than downhill.

4. What do male eastern fence lizards flash at rivals when doing push-ups?

• Blue belly scales (correct)
• A red throat fan
• Spines on their back
• A yellow tail tip

Push-ups show off their blue scales to keep other males away.

5. Where were 29 eastern fence lizards released in 1942?

• In Florida's Everglades
• On an island in Hawaii
• In London
• On Staten Island, New York (correct)

They were released near Rossville on Staten Island and still live there.

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