Reptiles
Southern Alligator Lizard
Elgaria multicarinata · also called southern alligator lizards
Working its way through a tangle of garden shrubs, a southern alligator lizard wraps its tail firmly around a branch before reaching forward for the next one, using a genuinely prehensile grip that most other lizards climbing the very same shrub would never manage.
Overview
The southern alligator lizard, Elgaria multicarinata, is a long-bodied, short-legged lizard native to chaparral, woodland, and grassland habitat across California and adjacent western North America. Its prehensile tail and readiness to settle into suburban gardens make it one of the more adaptable and genuinely useful-tailed reptiles found across its range.
A lizard equally at home in the wild or the yard
Few California reptiles move as comfortably between untouched chaparral and an ordinary backyard flowerbed as the southern alligator lizard, a species that has simply adapted to whatever suitable shelter and prey happen to be available nearby.
Status
Least Concern — widespread and common across suitable chaparral, woodland, and grassland habitat throughout California and adjacent regions.
Southern Alligator Lizard: common questions
What makes the southern alligator lizard's tail special?
A southern alligator lizard has a notably prehensile tail capable of gripping branches and vegetation, functioning almost like an additional limb while climbing, a genuinely useful adaptation that sets it apart from most other lizard species, whose tails serve mainly for balance or predator distraction rather than active gripping.
Is the southern alligator lizard dangerous to handle?
While not venomous, the southern alligator lizard has a genuinely strong bite for its size and will readily bite defensively if handled or threatened, a trait that makes it a more assertive lizard to encounter than many of the more docile species found in the same habitat.
Can you find a southern alligator lizard in a backyard?
Yes, the southern alligator lizard adapts well to suburban gardens and landscaped areas, often found sheltering beneath rocks, mulch, or debris in yards across its California range, making it one of the more commonly encountered reptiles in developed parts of its habitat.
Where does the southern alligator lizard live?
The southern alligator lizard is native to chaparral, woodland, and grassland habitat across California and adjacent parts of the western United States and Mexico, and it tolerates a broad enough range of conditions to also thrive in suburban settings.