Side-blotched Lizard

A little lizard with some interesting color patterns posed for me at the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. It looks to me that this is a yellow-throated individual, perhaps a "sneaker" male.

 

Side-blotched lizards are notable for having the highest number of distinct male and female morphs or "genders" within a species: three male and two female.

 

Orange-throated males are "ultra-dominant, high testosterone", who establish large territories and control areas that contain multiple females. Yellow stripe-throated males ("sneakers") do not defend a territory, but cluster on the fringes of orange-throated lizard territories, and mate with the females on those territories while the orange-throat is absent, as the territory to defend is large. Blue-throated males are less aggressive and guard only one female; they can fend off the yellow stripe-throated males but cannot withstand attacks by orange-throated males. Orange-throated females lay many small eggs and are very territorial. Yellow-throated females lay fewer, larger eggs, and are more tolerant of each other.

 

Source and more info: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Side-blotched_lizard

Done