Tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) are a fairly common lizard around northern New Mexico. However, most people don't take the time to discover that the lizard scampering about the rocks is not just the ubiquitous Prairie Lizard (Sceloporis undulatis) but something alltogether different.
The tree lizard is not hard to identify. It is a small, slim, climbing lizard with a body size (snout to vent) of about 1.5 to 2 inches. It's tail is somewhat longer than other similar lizards likely to be seen in the same areas. It has some loose folds of skin around the neck (a gular fold). The underside of each side of the belly is bright blue or green in males, the patches generally do not flow together except in some subspecies. The entire underside of the chin in males may be yellow, green, orange or blue, often with a blotched appearance. Males have an ability to extend their chins like an anole during teritorial displays -- something that is neet so see, but as of yet I've not been able to capture in an image. You can bet I'll keep trying!
Although these little critters are called tree lizards, most of the time around here they're found on the rocks instead of the trees. They are good jumpers and quite agile. They are typically an ambush predator rather than an active hunter.
Posts
