bellies until they mature. Though they do not have colored bellies, they are still referred to as a fence lizards. Although California is the heart of the range of this lizard, it is also found in eastern and southwest Oregon, as well as in the Columbia River Gorge, southwest Idaho, Nevada, western Utah, and northwestern Baja California, and some of the islands off the coast of both California and Baja California. The western fence lizard enjoys a variety of habitat. It is found in grassland, broken chaparral, sagebrush, woodland, coniferous forest, even farmland, and occupy elevations from sea level up to 10,800 ft). They generally avoid the harsh desert. An isolated population exists in Sanders County, Montana and may be an introduced species in Montana. Western skink The western skink (Eumeces skiltonianus, Salish: šl̓šl̓če) is a small, smooth-scaled lizard with relatively small limbs, measuring about 100 to 200 mm long. Western skinks are very adaptable. They spend much of their day basking in the sun. Their diet ranges widely, including spiders and beetles. Western skinks will bite if grasped and will flee if they feel threatened. It is a common but secretive species whose range extends throughout Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming and into western Montana and northern Arizona. It is widespread in northern California but restricted to the coast in central and southern California. Found in a variety of habitats, this lizard is most common in early successional stages or open areas of late successional stages. Heavy brush and densely forested areas are generally avoided. Western skinks are found from sea level to at least . This diurnal reptile is active during the warm seasons. In Montana, the skink is found in the far northwestern portion of the state. Gophersnake The gophersnake or bullsnake (Pituophis catenifer sayi, Salish: sx̣ʷnu) is a large non-venomous colubrid snake, widespread in the central part of the United States, northern Mexico, and southern Canada. It is a subspecies of the gopher snake (Pituophis catenifer). The epithet sayi is in honor of zoologist Thomas Say. It is common and widespread in Montana. Milk snake The milk snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) is a species of king snake. There are 25 subspecies among the milk snakes, including the commonly named scarlet kingsnake (L. t. elapsoides). The subspecies have strikingly different appearance, and many of them have their own common names. They are distributed from southeastern Canada, through