Lyme
disease is caused by a bacterium which lives in the belly of ticks,
such as the western black-legged tick here in California. When a
juvenile tick (about 1/20th of an inch in size) ingests the blood a
Western Fence Lizard a protein in the lizards’ blood actually kill the
bacteria! This seems to leave the tick unable to transmit Lyme
Disease!
WAY TO GO MOTHER NATURE!!
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Blue belly lizards hibernate over winter and reestablish
their home territory in the same areas the following spring. Mating begins in
early may with eggs hatching by july. They defend their space (a ¼ acre
territory) through posturing (push ups) and through chemical cues and markings.
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This baby blue belly is maybe 4 cm long -excluding the tail.
It probably hatched a few days prior to these photos in mid july 2008. *note
the shoe is a child’s size 9 lost in the landscape for a season!!
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Can you find the baby lizard? While not the most focused of
photos it does clearly illustrates how well camouflaged lizards are for
protection from predators. The leaves next to the baby are from a common garden
sage plant.
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This sunny location is perfect to blend in (for both
protection and predation) while warming the blood; lizards are reptiles and
therefore cold blooded requiring warmth from external sources for energy and
survival.
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