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Iguanid for Sale
Spiny Lizards...or Swifts...which is it?
Sceloporous
Common names include: Jeweled Swifts, Fence Lizards, Crevice Lizards, "Blue-bellies"
The many species of swifts come from very similar geographic areas: periods of hot weather, trees or rocks to bask on and crevices in which to hide. All are difficult to sneak up upon, are extremely quick, and difficult to dislodge from a crevice once they have scooted within. The various species vary in size but little in the way of captive care requirements. The following, written for the Western Swift, is applicable to all the swifts in this genus.
Western Swift, aka Blue-belly, is one of the most common of the western lizards. Found on fence posts, rocks, logs, piles of lumber, and sides of buildings, they inhabit a wide variety of habitats: grassland, chaparral, sagebrush, woodlands, open coniferous forest and farmlands. They are absent, however, from the harsh desert environments, staying up on the higher, moisture mountain elevations above the desert floor. Sometimes found climbing trees, these terrestrial lizards are generally found on the ground.
Insect eaters, they will also eat insect larvae and spiders and other arthropods.
The young have little or no blue on the throat; the blue belly markings are faint or absent; no orange or yellow on limbs. Most species are oviparous (producing eggs that hatch outside the mothers body); some are viviparous (giving birth to living offspring that develop within the mothers body).
Adult males have enlarged hemipenal bulges, and usually has a blue patch on throat; the patch may be divided and, in some cases, absent. The belly patches are blue or greenish and may be seen from the sides or above. Adult females have no blue or green above; dark crescents or bars on back. The blue patches on the bellies are less vivid or absent.
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