Archives of The Cold Blooded News

The Newsletter of the Colorado Herpetological Society

Volume 30, Number 10;   October, 2003

Indigenous Herps of the Northwest: Northern Alligator Lizards

by Cat Oliver

Main identification characteristics of this the Northern Alligator lizard are the distinct fold of skin that separates the keeled dorsal scales from the smooth ventral scales. Their coloration varies from a golden brown color to brownish-green, with black or dark brown spots, and always with a light colored underbelly. Their head is triangular, with a pointed snout, and they have the most intriguing golden eyes-with quite the glint of intelligence!

Their habitat consists of cooler and wetter environments, leaving the Pacific Northwest as the perfect environment area for them. They can be found from Southern British Columbia through Washington, Oregon, and often as far south as central California. East of Washington, they can be found in Southeast and Northern Idaho and Western Montana. They commonly like to hide in undergrowth, leaf litter, and rocky crevices, and can often be found under tin, garbage, and cast-off bark from trees.

Like most lizards, the Northern Alligator will lose its tail if threatened - and the tail can be re-grown, but will never have the appearance of the original tail. Another defense mechanism is their bite. With a ferocity similar to Tokay Geckos (we should all be familiar with those little brutes!), but lacking the super-sharp teeth, the Alligator Lizard will try and pinch a predator with its beak-like jaws, and hang on until the enemy lets go.

These little brown lizards hibernate every winter, and in the spring, around April or May, they come out to mate. Alligator Lizards give birth to an average litter of four to six live young, and then the mothers leave their young to fend for themselves. Baby Alligator Lizards have a brassy or brownish-tan stripe dorsally, and lack most of the darker markings adults have.

The diet of the lizards consists mainly of insects, ticks, spiders, millipedes, smaller eggs and snails, and I have had the occasional lizard take earthworms or pinky mice. Here in the Northwest, we have an introduced species called the Cinnabar Moth, which is highly poisonous to these lizards.

When shedding time comes, unlike other lizards, Alligator Lizards shed in one piece, like a snake. They will still eat their shed.

Very intriguing little lizards, and very easy to care for -- I have had a few in captivity, and they really are fun to interact with.