Sceloporus occidentalis (Western Fence Lizard)
about the species
The western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis, is a widespread species found across most of the major biogeographical regions of the western United States, ranging from northwestern Washington (United States) to northern Baja California (Mexico) and east to central Utah (United States). Western fence lizards occupy a correspondingly broad range of habitats, including grassland, chaparral, sagebrush, woodland, open coniferous forest, urban yards and landscapes, and farmland, from sea level to 3,350 m (Stebbins and McGinnis 2012).
why species was selected
Their widespread distribution, often high local abundance, and easily observable nature have made S. occidentalis a model organism for research in areas including behavior, thermal physiology, dietary ecology, and disease vector biology, among others, and it may be the most actively studied North American lizard (Marcellini and Mackey 1970; Goldberg 1974; Rose 1976; Adolph 1990; Sinervo and Losos 1991; Rochester et al. 2010).
