San Diego Alligator Lizard

Description:

Very long and slender lizard with brown, black and white markings. This series shows the long, flexible tail, detail of the markings, closed eyes and the bite! The video shows it breathing, tasting the air with its tongue, moving and biting. This is a subspecies of the Southern Alligator Lizard. Juvenile can be seen at my other spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/687...

Habitat:

Found in a box when unloading Christmas lights. I doubt it survived all year in the box so it must have managed to jump in when no one was looking. We put it in a small enclosure with sand to take some pics. It managed to get out and run in the house. My husband was nice enough to pick it up but got a nice bite from the lizard. "Found almost anywhere except in the deserts, mosty during daylight. Frequently found underneath debris. Commonly found in suburban yards, especially in Southern California." - CaliforniaHerps.com

Notes:

"Alligator lizards do not typically bask in the sun out in the open or on top of a rock like many other lizard species. They seem to prefer sunny spots with some cover nearby. This is a lizard that is often seen in yards and garages in Southern California. Northern and Southern Alligator lizards are very similar in appearance, but observing the color of the eye and the position of the dark stripes on the belly can help you differentiate them. Check the range, also. There are no Northern Alligator lizards in much of Southern California. " - CaliforniaHerps.com