Reptiles
Island Night Lizard
Xantusia riversiana · also called island night lizards
Beneath a tangle of driftwood on a remote Channel Island, an island night lizard forages for insects and fallen fruit, part of a population that has rebounded so successfully from past habitat damage that its species was eventually removed from the federal endangered species list altogether.
Overview
The island night lizard, Xantusia riversiana, is a long-lived reptile found only on a small number of California’s Channel Islands. Its extremely restricted range, genuine conservation recovery story, and unusually long lifespan for a lizard of its size make it one of the more distinctive island-endemic reptiles found anywhere in the United States.
A recovery worth noticing
Few reptile conservation stories end as cleanly as this one, with the island night lizard rebounding from federally threatened status to full delisting once the introduced grazing animals damaging its island habitat were removed.
Status
Least Concern and stable, having recovered enough to be removed from the federal endangered species list in 2014.
Island Night Lizard: common questions
Why was the island night lizard once considered endangered?
This species was once federally listed as threatened primarily because introduced grazing animals on its island habitat degraded the vegetation and shelter it depends on, but after those grazing animals were removed and the habitat recovered, the species' population rebounded strongly enough to be delisted in 2014.
Where does the island night lizard live?
This species is restricted entirely to a small number of California's Channel Islands, found nowhere else on Earth, where it inhabits coastal scrub and rocky habitat sheltered beneath rocks, driftwood, and dense low vegetation.
How long can an island night lizard live?
This species is notably long-lived compared to many other lizards of similar size, with individuals capable of surviving for multiple decades in the wild, a longevity that has helped researchers track its population recovery over an extended period.
Does the island night lizard lay eggs?
No, this species gives birth to live young rather than laying eggs, a reproductive strategy shared with other members of its family and well suited to the cooler coastal island climate found across its limited Channel Islands range.