Evaluation of western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) and eastern fence lizards (Sceloporus undulatus) as laboratory reptile models for toxicological investigations.

A need is recognized for one or more laboratory reptile models for use in ecotoxicological studies and risk assessments. Maintenance of breeding populations of most reptile species under laboratory conditions is not practical because of their size and slow maturation rate. However, a number of species of spiny lizards (Sceloporus sp.) are small, mature quickly, and reproduce under laboratory conditions. We evaluated three populations of western fence lizards (S. occidentalis) and four populations of eastern fence lizards (S. undulatus) for their performance under laboratory conditions. We reared an F 1 generation of each population and compared their performance relative to survival, growth, maturation rate, and reproductive output. A population from the San Joaquin Valley (CA, USA) performed especially well under laboratory conditions and is a good candidate for a laboratory model. We also examined the sensitivity of developing fence lizard embryos to an estrogenic chemical to determine if male secondary sex characteristics were affected. Microinjecting eggs with an estrogenic chemical (17α-ethinylestradiol) feminized males and prevented development of embryonic secondary sex characteristics. Therefore, embryonic fence lizards may be useful for studying the effects of endocrine-disrupting chemicals.