Presenter: Cierra Sawyer
Authors: Cierra Sawyer
Faculty Advisor: William Heyborne
Institution: Southern Utah University
Three Peaks Recreation Area is located in Cedar City, Utah. Along with various other types of wildlife, the environment is home to several species of lizards. For this observational study, the main species of lizards that were focused on were the Common Side-Blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana), the Western Fence Lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), and the Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus graciosus). All three of these species are seen in abundance throughout the trails and campgrounds. Uta stansburiana is one of the most studied lizard species in the western United States. This makes it an ideal organism to use in a study about behavior. Many of the research papers that were used for reference in this study discussed the territoriality of lizards. However, this research project is different than the other studies because it is looking into other behaviors along with territoriality. The main goal of this study was to observe the lizards in Three Peaks Recreation Area in the fall and the spring to see if there were any differences in the behaviors that occurred in each season. Uta stansburiana and Sceloporus occidentalis have been studied over their territorial behavior in terms of establishing their own territories that they protect and defend. However, there may be other behaviors that are just as significant to study that may not be as obvious as a territorial display. For gathering my data, I went out to Three Peaks for an hour in the morning and one hour in the afternoon. An ethogram was used to record how many times a behavior occurred as an individual lizard was being observed. Based on research, I expected my results to reinforce the idea that lizards are highly territorial and are functional opportunists.