Northern Fence Lizard
Scientific Name:
The scientific name for the Northern Fence Lizard is Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus
Where they're located in New Jersey:
Northern Fence Lizards can be found in all of the southern region and portions of the northern region of the state
Placement on Endangerment Scale:
Least Concern (LC)
Physical characteristics:
Northern Fence Lizards are the only spiny lizard in the area. This means their scales are keeled and pointed. Males are brown with little or no patterns on their back. They have bright blue areas on their throat and sides of the belly. Females are grey and have wavy, dark bands on their backs. Females may also have blue patterns in the same spots as males, but paler and smaller. Both males and females have a dark, lengthwise stripe on the back of the thigh. They can grow to be 3/5-7.5 inches in length.
Preferred habitat:
On tree trunks, rotting logs, stumps and fences. Can occasionally be found on the ground but will dash to the trees.