Southern Alligator Lizard
Order: Squamata Family: Anguidae Genus & Species: Elgaria multicarinata
# of Species: 3 in California.
Habitat
The southern alligator lizard can be found in most habitats along the California coast. These
include grasslands, open forests, chaparrals, suburban and urban areas, and the Mojave river.
They are most common in areas with large amounts of coverage, such as rocks, leaves, logs,
brick walls, or other types of cover.
Food and Hunting
They like to eat small bugs (such as small arthropods and slugs), other lizards, small
mammals, and young birds and eggs when they can get them.
Breeding
Mating occurs between April-May, or year round if the weather is warm enough. Eggs are laid
throughout May and June and hatch at the end of summer and beginning of fall. A maximum of
two clutches a year are laid by each female. Females are protective of their eggs until they
hatch.
Profile
These lizards can measure between 3 to 7 inches (7.3-17.8 cm) excluding the tail or up to a
foot (30 cm) including the tail. They have small legs with thick round bodies and tails that can
grow to twice as long as their body. If attacked, they can use their tails to defend themselves by
dropping them. Hoping the attacker will go after the tail giving them a chance to get away.
They can be brown, gray, green, or yellow with red blotches along the back. There are also
usually dark crossbands with white spots along the back, sides, and tail.
Their lifespan is 10-15 years.
Activities
Whether you live in California or another State, chances are, there are lizards where you live.
You can do some research on which species of lizards live near you. I recommend using the
National Audubon Society Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians. Here are a few ideas to
have reptile related fun.
Build a Lizard Habitat
Lizards love hiding. So, you can attract them by building a habitat which they can live in.
● Once you decide on a location, place the plant/s. Lizards love to hide in tussocks and grasses especially.
● Then, you can loosely pile and stack the bricks, rocks, and wood near the plants. Lizards will enjoy hiding in the holes and cracks of the habitat along with some bugs and insects which the lizards will enjoy snacking on.
● Finally, all you have to do now is wait for the lizards to come. Lizards are warm blooded and rely on the sun to keep them warm. So you might catch one sitting on top of the habitat bathing in the sun. Keep in mind, lizards do not like to be disturbed. So, try not to mess with the habitat unless necessary. It is best to enjoy them from a distance.
Keep a Journal
After building the lizard habitat, you can keep a journal of your encounters with the lizards. Keep track of the lizards that you see:
● How often do you see a lizard?
● How many do you see in a day/week/month?
● Does this change throughout the year or depending on the weather?
● Can you tell the lizards apart?
● What species are the lizards?
● Do you only see one species or multiple?
● You can take pictures of the lizards and include them in your journal.
● You can also draw pictures of the lizards.
● Write a poem or story about lizards.
● Color a picture of a lizard.