 |
 |
|
|
|
Side-blotched lizards (Uta stansburiana) are small, attractive animals found throughout much of the western US. As their name implies, they have a dark spot (barely visible here) in the 'armpit' behind the front legs. Side-blotched lizards are slightly sexually dimorphic, and males (which are somewhat larger and more colorful than females) apparently occur in several genetically-determined color morphs (primarily of throat color: blue, orange, yellow) that show different levels of territorial behavior and aggression. In some places, the frequencies of the different male morphs cycle from year to year. I took this picture in the Box Springs Mountains near Riverside, CA, using a big telephoto lens to avoid alarming the animal (which at some point in its career had lost its tail-tip). |
|
|
