ICYMI Last night, in my dream, a man was trying to have a very serious conversation with me. But I was really distracted by a skink and a fence lizard. I was focusing so hard on these lizards, trying to identify them that I shorted out my dream and woke up

This morning I find out that lizards are once again saving the day! Down in the Southern US, skinks are helping to reduce the transmission of Lyme Disease. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/02/lizards-may-be-protecting-people-lyme-disease-southeastern-united-states

Ticks seem to prefer latching onto skinks but these lizards are really bad at transmitting Lyme to other creatures. Which means ticks that aren’t affected, who feed on a lizard are less likely to get Lyme than ones who feed on mice or deer.

Leading to a lower infection rate for humans who get bitten by ticks.

Now how do fence lizards relate in? Well the western fence lizard has a compound in their blood that neutralizes the bacteria that causes Lyme.

drop. This is why we have to conserve species. They make our lives better in ways we could never imagine. That is of course until some awesome scientist comes along and observes something new.