Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Just came back from California where I found my very first Alligator lizards : 15 of them! They are spectacular animals and made my day like you wouldn't beleive. We were having a pleasant hike on a Sierra Slope (King's Canyon) in intermitting rain when one of them dashed for cover in a moss covered crevice. Funny how fast & blindly I stuck my hand in that crevice to pull the lizard out, even though I had just found a tiger centipede 50 feet away.

Cheers, JF

This specimen was my favorite. Notice all the ticks on his neck!
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I'm jealous that you got to visit King's Canyon. One of the best hiking trips of my life was a week in that same area. That was in '88 with Jake's, Obediah2's, Dad. Man, I wish I new then what I know now. I would of brought more film to take pictures of the Rubber Boas and Mountian Kings. I hope you had a blast!
Thanks for the photos.
-Phil

Those are some spectacular photos, of some great looking specimens. It amazes me the size these lizards get, and just how quick they are to bite
I have a colony of them living in my garage here in Van Nuys California. I just had an exterminator come across my property. I had to ask him to stay out of my garage so my little buddies could continue their happy lives.
It's nice to see what is a common lizard around here, on the king snake pages getting their respect.

Again:
Great photos and a nice find.
Jason Mc

We had a black widow colony in our garage.
We asked a emptymology (sp?) student at our church what the best way to get rid of them was.

His response - let all your lizards go in there (at the time, I had about a dozen southern alligator lizards and a few northern).

He was joking - but they do eat black widows, and thus are nice to have around.