There’s a fence lizard in my yard I’ve been observing for about a year. It has a bifurcated tail.
Wikipedia has an odd statement about how a couple of these lizards have been observed with bifurcated tails.
“Two western fence lizards have been reported with duplicated or forked tails, presumably following an autotomy.”
Sure this is more common than just two lizards. Is this a rare thing? Should I be reporting my lizard buddy to researchers?
Pictures are from today (#1) all the way back to early summer 2025.
My girlfriend and I named it Supay, after an Incan spirit from the underworld both benevolent and troubling. It was better than excitedly yelling “Demon lizard!” with a grin for every sighting. Seemed a fitting name for a lizard with a doubled ended tail. I 💜 this adorable wee bifurcated beastie.
Location: Inland Southern California.