Almost everyone has seen a lizard doing something that looks surprisingly familiar: push-ups.
Just like people might do push-ups as part of a workout routine, lizards are often seen raising and lowering their bodies repeatedly while basking in the sun.
A Yarrow’s spiny lizard moves across a rock in the Mule Mountains of Southern Arizona.
However, unlike humans, lizards are not exercising to build muscle or improve fitness. Their push-up movements are actually a form of communication. Both male and female lizards can perform push-up displays, but males are usually the ones that do them most often and most dramatically.
Male lizards use these displays to defend their territory, warn rival males to stay away and attract females during the breeding season. The movement helps them stand out and show that they are healthy, strong and ready to compete for mates.
Female lizards may also perform push-up behaviors, although they generally do so less frequently and for different social reasons.
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Here are the different lizard species that do push-ups and why it always seems like they are doing push-ups in the sun.
What does it mean when lizards do push-ups?
When a lizard is doing push-ups, it’s communicating. Those rapid little body lifts are a form of territorial display or mating signal. Male lizards, especially species like desert spiny lizards or anoles that are common in Arizona, will perform these push-ups to show dominance, ward off rivals or impress a potential mate.
Why do lizards do push-ups in the sun?
The fact that lizards often do push-ups in sunny areas is related to their need for warmth. Lizards are ectothermic, meaning they rely on external heat sources to regulate their body temperature. Basking in the sun helps them become active and energetic, which makes it easier to perform these displays.
What kind of lizards do push-ups?
In Arizona, several kinds of lizards are known for doing push-up displays, but one of the most common is the Desert Spiny Lizard. These lizards are often seen on rocks, fences, trees and walls.
Another species that commonly performs push-up displays is the Western Fence Lizard, which is common in parts of Arizona, particularly at higher elevations. Like other members of the Sceloporus genus, these lizards use body movements and posture as visual signals. Their push-ups are often accompanied by the display of bright blue patches on their bellies and throats.
The Side-blotched Lizard, a small and widespread species throughout Arizona's deserts, may also perform push-up behaviors. Their displays are less dramatic than those of the larger spiny lizards.
What is it called when lizards do pushups?
When a lizard does a push-up, the behavior is usually called a "push-up display" or "push-up behavior." Biologists consider it a type of visual display, meaning the lizard is communicating through movement rather than sound.
