Chemical communication is one of the main forms of communication in squamate reptiles, yet little is known about it in lizards. One way lizards utilize chemical communication is through their femoral pore secretions, and the lipid components have been shown to be highly variable across species. The Florida scrub lizard (Sceloporus woodi) is listed as near-threatened by the IUCN, yet persists in healthy populations within the Ocala National Forest in central Florida. Little research has been done on their chemical communication. During the summer of 2025, I will catch lizards from two habitat types (longleaf pine forests and Florida scrub) and a management area and extract their femoral pore secretions. I will transport the vials to Georgia Southern University and analyse them via gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy. My goal is to determine the lipid composition of the secretions of S. woodi and compare them across habitat types.
