A Collared Lizard Shedding Its Skin at Wichita Mountains

I photographed this collared lizard shedding its skin at Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge in Oklahoma. It rested on a large boulder, with patches of loose skin visible along its body.

A Collared Lizard Shedding in Patches

Look closely at the photograph, and you can see pale pieces of skin lifting away from the lizard’s back and sides. Those loose patches show a normal process called ecdysis.

Lizards generally shed their outer skin in pieces as they grow and replace worn skin. This lizard still had patches attached when I photographed it.

Last year, I wrote about another encounter in Collared Lizard Mating Behavior: A Rare Courtship Encounter.

Photographing the Lizard on a Boulder

The boulder gave me a view of the lizard and the loose skin along its body. Its long tail curved across the rock, while it held its head above its shoulders.

I like having the surrounding rocks in this photograph. They show the habitat where I found the lizard and give some context beyond a close portrait.

The shedding adds another detail to the encounter. At first glance, the lizard’s markings and the rough rock can make those pale patches easy to miss.

Fewer Lizards During My Fall Visit

I did not see many collared lizards on this trip. The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation lists their active season as beginning as early as mid-March and continuing through September.

That seasonal pattern offers a possible explanation for my fewer sightings. Collared lizards spend winter inactive in sheltered retreats, and their timing varies with local conditions.

Seeing fewer lizards in fall does not tell me they have left the area. They can spend the colder months out of sight within rocky habitat.

I was glad to photograph this one before my trip ended. Along with a look at its surroundings, I came home with a record of it shedding its skin.