If you have or could have a native garden, what plants would you choose?

Let me know in the comments if you #FoundThatLizard!

All the plants in the garden are native to some part of California, so it made sense I'd see so many lizards.

Visiting botanic gardens like the California Botanic Garden is a great way to explore native plants for your own garden, so you can create lizard friendly habitat in your yard.

Can you #FindThatLizard?

Tonight you're looking for a western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis.

I saw this individual while I was visiting the California Botanic Garden in Claremont. It is one of the most beautiful gardens I've ever visited, and it was teeming with lizards.

🥰 and aren’t they?!

The fence lizards are really showing out!

A gravid mama lizard lets me get up close and personal

🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿

When they are ready to lay their eggs, the females will dig a hole in moist and loose soil. Parental care ends when the female covers her nest with soil.

The eggs typically hatch between July and September.

Let me know in the comments if you #FoundThatLizard! #science #education #wildlife #game

The males are becoming even more territorial as mating season approaches!

Normally, western fence lizards mate in late spring or early summer. The females typically lay their eggs 2-4 weeks after copulation, and they can have up to 3 clutches each year.

Can you #FindThatLizard?!

With it being unseasonably warm this spring, our western fence lizards are already becoming more and more active.

If you live anywhere near them, you may already have seen the males fighting over territory.

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Oooou I love this! Thanks for sharing!

They’ll get ya 😂

Let’s decouple those two things in this scenario. How about that 😂

Oh this is fantastic lol

This indicates the old skin has separated from the new skin and it’ll be shed soon. They’ve already shed on their arms and you can see the difference!

#lizard #science #wildlife #education #FindThatLizard

This western fence lizard was communicating with me telepathically. They said “Girl… WTF! Get out my face!” 😂😭

If you look closely at their scales, you’ll see some have a thick white border.

How do we do that 😭

I was talking to my coworker and we can to the conclusion that human reproduction should be seasonal.

Like why can’t we only have periods for like 3 months then be regular the rest of the year??

We don’t need this monthly 😭😭

That’s real! Lol

Maybe not a “FindThat..” but it would be fun to see another animal game on here!

It’s the apps photo compression I swear 🥲. Look here bsky.app/profile/afro...

😂😂 it’s always the reference!

😂😂 the challenge is what makes it fun!

I literally LOL’d 😅

Blue Tails — Dr. Earyn McGee Can you #FindThatLizard?! Juvenile western skinks, Plestiodon skiltonianus , have blue tails to deter predators. It seems counterintuitive. Why would you want to stand out as a way of defense?

The compression on the photo makes it hard to see the lizard’s full body but you can see it better here! earynmcgee.com/findthatliza...

🙌🏿🙌🏿🙌🏿

Blue Tails — Dr. Earyn McGee Can you #FindThatLizard?! Juvenile western skinks, Plestiodon skiltonianus , have blue tails to deter predators. It seems counterintuitive. Why would you want to stand out as a way of defense?

The app compressed the photo so it’s hard to see but it’s clearer here! earynmcgee.com/findthatliza...

There is a whole lizard there! The misdirect worked on you!

Yay! They’re great!