One of the charming features of my yard in Santa Fe is that several little lizards live here (or at least visit frequently). They can sometimes be seen sunning themselves on a stucco wall, but more often they are darting across the yard at 90 miles an hour--clearly distressed by my presence.That's why it was so phenomenal to find this little guy (or gal?) posing for the camera this week. I first noticed the underbelly from the inside of the screen, and was able to get my camera, get outdoors, focus, and snap a couple of photos before I scared him (her?) off.
I'm not very good at lizard identification--I first thought it might be a New Mexican whiptail, but now I'm waffling on that claim. (The whiptail is an interesting lizard because there are only females--they reproduce by essentially cloning themselves.)
5 comments:
I think this is a sceloporus rigatus - a striped plateau lizard
Thanks for the identification!
Hi, Santa Fe Kate! I am having problems with these lizards eating the new spring growth of some of my plants right down to the grown. They especially like Storm Border Lilies. Do you have any suggestions for control?
Thanks,
Peggie
Gosh Peggie--I haven't noticed this. You probably have much more succulent plants than I do!!
Are you sure it is not rabbits who are eating your plants? If I am not mistaken, these guys (Striped Plateau Lizards) consume bugs, not plants. Perhaps you have the wrong culprit!
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