Why do lizards puff out their throat and turn blue on their stomach?
I saw two lizards approaching each other today. They were walking sideways towards respectively other which I've not seen in the 5 months they've 'hung out' eating mosquitoes on the wall external my window. Just as one got close to the other, its throat began to puff out, it's stomach turned aqua blue and it started doing 'push-ups' as it advanced to the other lizard who now began to do the same. Suddenly one jump at the other and literally attacked it. They went hurling off the wall in a affray. I've never seen their bellies turn blue before. Even when crawling on the screen of my pane I can see their bellies and they are not the aqua blue they were before fighting. How did their stomach go from gray brown to a brilliant aqua? What does the puffing out their throat represent? And were they actually conflict or mating?
Answers: Many male lizards develop a 'gular beard' as they reach readiness and they develop coloured undersides. You witnessed two mature males fighting over females or territory.
They turn slightly sideways and tilt themselves as it displays their brightly coloured undersides, this combined beside puffing out the throat and push ups are intended to scare away the intruder. If all these threat displays founder the resident male will attack to try and drive off his rival. If all of this fail they fight - sometimes to the death.
The reason you own not noticed this before is because a male holds his realm and may have many females in it. You hold probably only seen the undersides of females before and they famine the blue markings.
What you witnessed was 2 male lizards fighting over domain or mating rights. The color changed is either caused by hormones/hormone in-balance or a blood rush to the stomach. Lizards puff their throats to manufacture them selves appear larger and also to give a warning saying "I'm big and I'm startling, so don't mess with me." Chances are there's a third lizard somewhere or you have some great lizard land.
I hope I help.
Anna
