Mr. Wizard, the Western Fence Lizard

Mr. Wizard was found on the tile floor of one of the restrooms at Splash. He was unable to move about on the slick floor and had become very weak and dehydrated. He responded very well to treatment and it was decided to let him permanently reside at Splash.

Western Fence Lizards are found in a variety of open, sunny habitats, including woodlands, grasslands, and even urban areas. They get their name because they’re often seen basking in the sun on fences, rocks, logs, trees, and walls.

Western Fence Lizards are nicknamed “Blue-bellied Lizards” because the males have blue markings on the sides of the belly and two blue patches on the throat. A male will defend its territory and try to attract a female by doing push-ups that show off his blue throat and sides.

Western Fence Lizards eat small invertebrates such as crickets, spiders, ticks, and scorpions. They’ll even eat other small lizards, including their own species. They try to hide from predators such as hawks and other birds, foxes, raccoons, and snakes. However, if a predator grabs a Western Fence Lizard by its tail, the tail falls off and continues to twitch to distract the predator while the lizard escapes. If it survives the attack, the lizard can grow its tail back!

Mr. Wizard is at least 4 years old. His favorite food is crickets but he enjoys an occasional wolf spider too.