I recently loaded some fence rails in the back of the station wagon. One rail bumped the seat, and a lizard dropped into the passenger area. When I unloaded the rails, there was no sign of the lizard.

For three days I drove the car thinking, "That lizard is going to crawl on me and I will wreck the car."

This story does not end in a car wreck -- but in a photo I used to identify the lizard. My new passenger was an Eastern Fence Lizard (sometimes called a Northern Fence Lizard above the Mason-Dixon Line, or a Pine Lizard.)

His name comes from his habit of catching the sun on rail fences. As reptiles, fence lizards need the sun's warmth.

He is of the family Iguanadae, with the formal Latin name Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthus.

Fence lizards are an endangered species in New York state, but here in Virginia they are plentiful.

Identification of a fence lizard depends on several traits. They have textured (keeled) scales, not flat smooth bodies. The one I saw looked gray, but close up they are gray, brown and tan with darkish near-black zebra stripes.

They eat insects and spiders and that makes them a welcome neighbor (but not in the car!)

Fence lizards are prey for larger species, especially snakes, birds, carnivores and other lizards. They can sit very quietly for long stretches, so as not to alert predators of their presence.

When startled, they often run for trees and hide on the back of the trunk out of sight.

Three days after the lizard disappeared into the car, my wife felt something wriggling on the back of her shirt. Fortunately, the car was parked. When the wriggling reached her hair, she jumped out of the car dancing and yelling, and brushed her hair.

Out flew the lizard, onto the ground, where he stood still for a portrait.

Virginia's science Standards of Learning covers habitats, predators, and prey (the fence lizard is both) beginning in first grade (section 1.7). The study continues through the elementary grades (2.5, 3.10, 4.5), and into Life Sciences (LS-12).