Western fence lizard

Duvall D. (1981). Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis) chemical signals, II a replication with naturally breeding adults and a test of the Cowles and Phelan hypothesis of rattlesnake olfaction. J Exp Zool 218, 351-361. 

Reptiles advertise their territories mostly by visual displays, but some olfactory marking may occur. For instance, western fence lizards, Sceleporis sp., of North America deposit fecal boli in prime basking sites, which are important... 

In an effort to test the system and to generate preliminary data on the toxicity of munition compounds to reptiles, acute oral toxicity studies on TNT, DNT, and RDX were conducted using Western fence lizards (S. occidentalis) [60], All three compounds were administered via gavage in a com oil vehicle. Table 7.1 shows the median lethal dose (LD50) for lizards orally exposed to these common munition compounds. Based on these data, RDX is relatively more toxic to fence lizards than TNT and DNT. Males appear more sensitive to RDX than females, while females are more sensitive to DNT than males, although generalizations on the relative sensitivity of males and females should be approached with caution. Overall, these data suggest that RDX is most toxic, and DNT and TNT are less toxic. 

Acute Oral Median Lethal Dose (LD50) of Specific Explosive Compounds to Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis)... 

Talent LG et al., Evaluation of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) and eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) as laboratory reptile models for toxicological investigations, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 21, 899, 2002. 

Suski JG et al., Dose-related effects following oral exposure of 2,4-dinitrotoluene on the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis, Environ. Toxicol. Chem., 27, 352, 2008. 

Duvall, D., 1979, Western fence lizard (Sceloporus occldentalis) chemical signals, I, Conspecific discriminations and release of a species-typical visual display, J. Exp. Zool., 210 321. 

Duvall, D., 1980, Phermonal mechanisms in the social behavior and communication of the western fence lizard, Sceloporus occidentalis biseriatus. Dissertation Abstracts International, 41, 1981. 

Important drugs have been derived from two plants common in the woodlands of the eastern United States. One is etoposide (an anticancer drug) based on the podophyllotoxin found in Podophyllum peltatum,415 The second is sanguinarine (from Sangulnarla canadensis), which is used for treatment of periodontal disease. A common fence lizard of the western United States, Sceloporus occidentalis, has something in the blood that kills the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease.416... 

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