Northern Alligator Lizard

Elgaria caerulea

Appearance

Northern Alligator Lizards are brown or grey with some dark spots and stripes on their belly. They can grow to be 25 centimetres long—and half of that is their tail!

Range & Habitat

This lizards are found from southern B.C. and Vancouver Island to the north coast of California. They are mostly seen in woods and grasslands, and often found under bark or rocks. In B.C., this animal lives in the Georgia Depression ecoprovince.

Diet & Behaviour

Northern Alligator Lizards eat insects, spiders and snails. If attacked, their tail can break off and keep wiggling to distract a predator while the lizard gets away.

Lifecycle & Threats

They give birth to live young after mating in April to June. Anywhere from two to fifteen babies are born. Urban sprawl and fire are two of the threats to Northern Alligator Lizards.