July 2022 - 24

Prairie lizards found in Wyoming's eastern plains have two cream-colored stripes running down their back and a gray band running down the center. (WGFD photo)
The DNA analysis showed
plateau fence lizards are less
abundant in Wyoming than
previously thought, and prairie
lizards - previously thought to
be the rarest lizard in Wyoming
- are more abundant.
CHANGING DYNAMICS
No one likes being called by the wrong
name, and if done for years it just seems
rude. But what does it mean to a lizard if
people call it by the wrong species name?
The lizard may not care, but for wildlife
managers it can mean a great deal.
Understanding the population and
distribution can greatly impact management
decisions. Discovering one population was a
different species changed the lizard landscape
in Wyoming. The DNA analysis showed
plateau fence lizards are less abundant in
Wyoming than previously thought, and
prairie lizards - previously thought to be
the rarest lizard in Wyoming - are more
abundant. However, this new information
means there are two distinct populations
of prairie lizards in the state: prairiedwelling
prairie lizards near Torrington
and mountain-dwelling prairie lizards in
24 | July 2022
the Laramie Mountains. The prairie lizards
near Torrington are believed to have a low
abundance and limited distribution, so
additional monitoring of their population
will need to take place. However,
the
Laramie Mountain prairie lizards appear to
be plentiful.
" The prairie lizards in the Laramie
Mountains have a robust population, " EstesZumpf
said. " We did surveys in the burn scar
of the Arapaho Fire that burned through the
area in 2012 to see how they were affected
by wildfires, and the fire didn't seem to harm
them. There aren't a lot of other threats to
their population there, so they seem to be a
hardy population of prairie lizards. "
This significant difference in habitat
preference, distributions, and appearance
means each of these prairie lizard populations
should both be managed as separate
management units.

July 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2022

July 2022 - 1
July 2022 - 2
July 2022 - 3
July 2022 - 4
July 2022 - 5
July 2022 - 6
July 2022 - 7
July 2022 - 8
July 2022 - 9
July 2022 - 10
July 2022 - 11
July 2022 - 12
July 2022 - 13
July 2022 - 14
July 2022 - 15
July 2022 - 16
July 2022 - 17
July 2022 - 18
July 2022 - 19
July 2022 - 20
July 2022 - 21
July 2022 - 22
July 2022 - 23
July 2022 - 24
July 2022 - 25
July 2022 - 26
July 2022 - 27
July 2022 - 28
July 2022 - 29
July 2022 - 30
July 2022 - 31
July 2022 - 32
July 2022 - 33
July 2022 - 34
July 2022 - 35
July 2022 - 36
July 2022 - 37
July 2022 - 38
July 2022 - 39
July 2022 - 40
July 2022 - 41
July 2022 - 42
July 2022 - 43
July 2022 - 44
July 2022 - 45
July 2022 - 46
July 2022 - 47
July 2022 - 48
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/wyoming-wildlife-may-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2024-e-edition
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2024
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2023
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/december-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-iak-special-issue
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/january-2022
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/dec-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/october-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/september-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/august-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/july-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/june-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/may-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/april-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/march-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/february-2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/January2021
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/December2020
https://www.nxtbook.com/wyominggame/WyomingWildlife/September2020
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com