Southern Alligator Lizard: Facts and Information

The Southern Alligator Lizard is a fascinating creature found in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

These lizards are relatively small, typically growing up to 18 inches in length.

They have a distinctive appearance, with a grayish-brown color and a pattern of darker spots on their back.

In the wild, Southern Alligator Lizards are known to be quite agile, often climbing trees and rocks with ease.

They are primarily carnivorous, feeding on insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates.

The southern alligator lizard is a large, slim lizard with a distinctive appearance. It grows to 5.6 inches snout to vent length, with a tail that is twice the body length.

Its scales are keeled, rectangular, and arranged in a specific pattern. The dorsal and ventral scales are rectangular, with a band of smaller granular scales separating the larger scales on the back and stomach.

The lizard's color is variable, ranging from brown to gray, green, or yellowish, often with red blotches on the middle of the back. These red blotches are a characteristic feature of the species.

Suggestion: Southern Red Muntjac

The southern alligator lizard has a round thick body, small legs, and a long, somewhat prehensile tail. This tail can be twice as long as the lizard's body.

The lizard's eyes are yellow or gold, and its underside is light colored with no dark pigmentation on the lateral edges of each scale. This is a distinguishing feature of the species.

Males have a broader and more triangular head than females, making them slightly different in appearance.

For another approach, see: Italian Wall Lizard Long Island

The southern alligator lizard is native to the Pacific coast of North America, ranging from the state of Washington to Baja California.

These lizards can be found across many diverse habitats, including grassland, open forest, chaparral, suburban and urban areas, and even into the desert along the Mojave River.

They are particularly common in foothill oak woodlands, and are often found hiding under rocks, logs, or other surface cover.

The southern alligator lizard frequently can be found near human habitation, and is often seen foraging in the mornings and evenings.

It is often found in or around suburban yards and garages, which is pretty cool if you ask me.

They are also found in the East Cascades Ecoregion, and can be mapped on the Washington Herp Atlas.

E. multicarinata eats small arthropods, slugs, lizards, small mammals, and occasionally young birds and eggs.

They even eat western black widow spiders, and have demonstrated an immunity to the spider's potent venom.

The southern alligator lizard is a species that's active during the day and much less secretive than other lizards, making them relatively easy to spot as they move along the ground.

They can be found in rocky, grassy or brushy openings within open forested landscapes, often near creeks where they've been observed swimming and basking on rocks.

Mating occurs in spring, typically from April to May, though in warmer regions they'll breed year-round, with females laying two clutches of eggs per year.

Eggs are usually laid between May and June and hatch during late summer and early fall, with females often laying them in decaying wood or plant matter to keep them warm.

Females will guard the eggs until they hatch, and the species is aggressive and will bite when captured.

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The southern alligator lizard is typically found in rocky, grassy or brushy openings within open forested landscapes, primarily Oregon oak-ponderosa pine.

They can also be found along creeks, where they've been observed swimming and basking on rocks.

This species is active during the day and is much less secretive than the northern alligator lizard, likely due to its larger size and ease of visibility.

They climb with assistance from their prehensile tail and can be seen on the lower portions of tree trunks and in shrubs.

The southern alligator lizard is aggressive and will bite when captured, and its tail is easily shed when threatened.

Females lay two clutches of eggs per year, often in decaying wood or plant matter to keep them warm.

They guard their eggs until they hatch, which typically occurs in late summer and early fall.

In warmer regions, this species will breed year-round, with mating occurring from April to May, though in some areas it can start as early as April.

Eggs are usually laid between May and June, and hatchlings start to appear in September and October in Oregon.

Overwintering most likely occurs in rock features such as talus, similar to the northern alligator lizard.

For another approach, see: Alligator Lizard Oregon

The Short Southern Alligator Lizard is a fascinating creature, and if you want to see one in action, check out this short video!

These lizards are known for their impressive speed, reaching up to 18 miles per hour in short bursts.

Their life cycle is quite remarkable, with females laying an average of 9 eggs per clutch.

They can grow up to 20 inches in length, including their tail, which they use for balance.

The Southern Alligator Lizard's behavior is also quite interesting, with individuals often engaging in territorial displays to mark their territory.

The specific name multicarinata refers to the keeled scales that are characteristic of this species. This is a key identifier for the southern alligator lizard.

In honor of Thomas Hopkins Webb, a Secretary of the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, the subspecific name webbii was chosen.

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These critters are actually capable of eating prey nearly as large as themselves! That's right, they're not picky eaters and will munch on a wide variety of insects, centipedes, scorpions, and even small mammals.

Females lay between 5 – 20 eggs, which is a pretty impressive reproductive range. I guess you could say they're prolific breeders!

Cannibalism also occurs among southern alligator lizards, because why not? It's a tough world out there and they're just trying to survive.