What is the primary role of the Western Fence Lizard regarding Lyme disease bacteria carried by I. pacificus?
Its blood may kill some of the Lyme disease-causing bacteria (*Borrelia burgdorferi*) the tick carries.
The Western Fence Lizard plays a unique role in the ecology of Lyme disease transmission involving *Ixodes pacificus*. Research suggests that when the tick feeds on the lizard, the lizard's blood possesses properties that are detrimental to the *Borrelia burgdorferi* bacteria. Specifically, the lizard's physiology is capable of killing some of the Lyme disease-causing bacteria residing within the tick host. While this mechanism offers a degree of natural resistance or attenuation in the tick population that feeds on them, it is emphasized that this process does not eliminate the risk entirely, as ticks also feed on other reservoir hosts where the bacteria remain viable.
