Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Eastern Fence Lizard

We recently admitted a species that many people have likely walked past without ever noticing: the Eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus). Their incredible camouflage and stillness make them surprisingly easy to miss, even when they are right in front of you.

This patient arrived with significant trauma, including a laceration to the upper left eyelid and multiple puncture wounds along the body.

One of the most striking findings was that the lizard appeared puffed up far beyond normal.

Radiographs confirmed the cause: pneumocoelom, or free gas within the body cavity.

In the image, this shows up as extensive black space, indicating air well beyond the normal lung field.

Unlike mammals, reptiles do not have a diaphragm separating the chest and abdominal cavities.

In mammals, the lungs and heart are contained within the thorax, while digestive and other organs sit in the abdomen.

In reptiles, birds, and amphibians, the body cavity is more continuous. This means that when there is damage to the lungs, air can leak out and accumulate throughout the body, rather than staying confined to one region.

The puncture wounds and internal injury suggest a predator interaction. Fortunately, in mild to moderate cases of pneumocoelom, patients can recover with time and supportive care.

This lizard is currently receiving pain management, antibiotics, and careful monitoring as the body gradually reabsorbs the excess air.

Eastern fence lizards are a vital part of their ecosystem. They are “sit-and-wait” predators, relying on sharp vision to detect and capture passing insects.

By helping to control insect populations, they play an important role in maintaining ecological balance.

Because their hunting strategy depends so heavily on sight, we are watching the eye injury closely as it heals.

These lizards prefer sunny, open woodland habitats where light reaches the ground.

You can often find them on logs, rock walls, fence posts, and old wooden structures, blending seamlessly into their surroundings.

They are found throughout much of the eastern and central United States, including here in the mid-Atlantic.

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