Bedazzled: Male ornate tree lizard (Urosaurus ornatus) in mating colors, at San Pedro House, Cochise County, Arizona. In addition to his striking turquoise scales, this lizard put on a nice territorial push-up display for me—or maybe there was a watching female or competitor nearby that I couldn’t see. There is some suggestion that these calisthenics are ritualized, that the lizards’ strength displays occur at regular intervals regardless of who’s watching. In any case, the push-ups let females see what good shape he’s in—just look at those thighs!—and warn off other males without having to engage in actual physical confrontation.
Dithyramb 