Identification
With a background color of brownish to grayish, or sometimes reddish in males,
the Northern Fence Lizard is marked with blurry slanting bands that tend to
be more distinct in females. Adults possess blue patches on the throat, and
males have deep purple-blue (hyacinth) to green-blue bellies bordered with black.
The snout of the animal is short and blunt, and its eyes are small. The scales
are generally small, but those that cover the crown of the head tend to be larger.
Inactive or cold Northern Fence Lizards have a darker appearance. .
Distribution and Status
The Northern Fence Lizard is found from extreme southeastern New York west through
eastern Kansas, south to northern South Carolina, central Alabama, and eastern
Texas (US
distribution map; Midwest
distribution map). In the Midwest, the Northern Fence Lizard is found in Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois and Missouri.
Ecology
The Northern Fence Lizard acquired its name from its love of basking on rail
fences. They can be found basking on anything from logs, trees, and rocks, to
rusted cars and old buildings. An inhabitant of the forest floor, the Northern
Fence Lizard is strictly diurnal and seeks cover under wood, rocks, bark, or
even rubbish when it isn’t basking. They generally hibernate in holes
in trees, logs, or fence posts from approximately November to April.
Resources
General reference guides and websites.
Links to more information on Northern Fence Lizards outside the Herp Center
Bruce Kingsbury, Director
Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management
Science Building
Indiana-Purdue University
2101 East Coliseum Blvd.
Fort Wayne, IN 46805-1499