Head to head
Island Night Lizard vs Desert Night Lizard
The island night lizard and desert night lizard belong to the same small family of secretive, live-bearing lizards, but one is restricted to a handful of California islands while the other ranges across the wider desert Southwest.
| Island Night Lizard | Desert Night Lizard | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Xantusia riversiana | Xantusia vigilis |
| Range | California's Channel Islands only | Southwestern US and Mexico |
| Conservation history | Delisted from threatened status in 2014 | Never listed as threatened |
| Conservation status | Least Concern | Least Concern |
| Population trend | Stable | Stable |
| Live-bearing | Yes | Yes |
| Shelters beneath surface debris | Yes | Yes |
| Diet | Omnivore | Insectivore |
Island Night Lizard vs Desert Night Lizard: common questions
Which night lizard has the more restricted range?
The island night lizard is far more restricted, found only on a small number of California's Channel Islands and nowhere else on Earth, while the desert night lizard ranges much more broadly across desert habitat throughout the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Why was the island night lizard once considered threatened?
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 animals were removed and the habitat recovered, the population rebounded enough for the species to be delisted in 2014, a recovery the desert night lizard never needed since it was never listed as threatened.
Do both night lizards stay in one small area their whole lives?
The desert night lizard is especially notable for this, often remaining under or near a single fallen piece of yucca or Joshua tree debris for its entire lifetime, while the island night lizard, though also secretive and debris-dependent, ranges somewhat more freely across its limited island habitat.