Facts about Side-blotched Lizard
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The side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana, is one of the most abundant and commonly studied lizards across the arid western United States.
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A side-blotched lizard's dark blotch behind each front limb serves as a visual signal for establishing dominance and territorial boundaries among competing males.
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Side-blotched lizards employ a sprinting speed of approximately 6 miles per hour to escape predators across desert terrain.
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Adult side-blotched lizards typically measure between 4 and 6 inches in total length, making them among the smallest lizard species in North America.
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Female side-blotched lizards lay clutches of 3 to 8 eggs in underground burrows, with incubation lasting approximately 6 to 8 weeks depending on soil temperature.
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In the Mojave Desert, side-blotched lizards can survive body temperatures exceeding 42 degrees Celsius before experiencing heat-induced mortality.
- 01
Three distinct throat color morphs in side-blotched lizards cycle through dominance in a rock-paper-scissors pattern over approximately 5 to 6 year periods.