My life in appalachia fence lizards

“We have the same lizards here in Caldwell County. I looked them up and and they are called Eastern fence lizards. They are also called Prairie lizards, Fence Swifts, or Gray Lizards. The scientific name is Sceloporus Undalatus. If you are really bored and take they time to watch them, the males of the group will sprint a short distance and stop and do push-ups. The article I was reading about them said they are trying to impress the females with a show of strength and telling the males to get out of their territory.”

~Stephen Ammons

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“Yes, that is a small Eastern Fence Lizard, also known as a Swift Lizard – they are very fast runners. They are closely related to the horned toads of the west. I have seen them on the retaining wall at my house. One time I saw one on the top of the wall and tried to move close to it for a better look. I saw it take off, then it was gone. I looked around and saw it about 10 feet up the side of my house, which was about 10 feet away horizontally, too. It seemed to have moved about 20 feet in a split second.”
~Tim Cuthbertson
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“We had one that was kinda tame, and you could hand-feed it and sometimes it would come in the backdoor and look around then go back outside. I always liked them.”
~Janet
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Tipper

Appalachia Through My Eyes – A series of photographs from my life in Southern Appalachia.

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9 Comments

  1. Most of the ones we have around here are generally bright green, but maybe they’re a different kind from these guys.
    God bless.
    RB
    <><

  2. Hi Tipper, (Late but…)Happy Independence Day, July 4, of United States of North America. July the month of independence of the two sides of our América. The July 9, is the Independence Day of United Provinces of Río de la Plata, the Argentine Republic. Honor and Glory to the Brave Patriots!!! José Luis from Argentina, (sorry for my bad english).

  3. The house we use to live in had window air conditioners in the bedrooms, and one morning I got up to go to work, with one eye open I reached to cut the air conditioner off and one was staring at me right on top of the air conditioner, I screamed like a wild cat, they don’t bother me, nor am I scared of them but I didn’t expect one to be in the bedroom, the thing jumped and ran under the bed and the cat and mouse game was on… I finally caught it ,,,must have found a hole around the air conditioner some how.. I reworked the trim around the window unit and didn’t see anymore..

  4. Yes, I have these little critters in my flower gardens just roaming around without a care I am not particularly fond of them; they can stay outside, but I don’t want them in the house. We also had them in FL, and, yes, they are swift buggers. I had one crawl across my face one night while I was sleeping. I freaked. I must admit, I am not fond of any reptiles.

  5. Mama was scared of all lizards & insisted they were “scorpions”. One day she was on the front porch & one somehow zipped in through the front door. Mama spent the day watching the front door & eventually the lizard came out. She said she would never have slept a wink with him in the house. I wouldn’t want him in the bed with me for sure either.

  6. Tipper: Seeing that lizard brought back memories of walking along my grandpa’s rail fencing upon Tusquittee. We parked our horse-drawn wagon at the creek crossing and walked a little ways up to the big old log house. A body could see lots of different creatures along the way. How I would love to spend another Sunday afternoon sitting on that big front porch and hear Grandpa’s ghost stories!

  7. There is a lizard that looks similar to that here in FL. Outdoor cats have been known to get brain damage from catching them.

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