Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a alligator lizard that I have had for about five years, but I am still unsure what kind it is. I have looked on many websites and the only lizard that comes close is the north western alligator lizard(link below). My lizard looks like the one pictured on the link, only he has no markings. I am thinking he is a North Western Alligator Lizard, but maybe he is just some regional difference. If anyone knows what kind of lizard he is, does anyone know where I could possible get a mate for him. Oh, by the way, does anyone know how to tell the sex of an alligator lizard. I alwas thought my lizard was a male because he has a slight bulge in his cloaca, but maybe that is normal for both sexes of alligator lizards. Also, does anyone know the lifespan of an alligator lizard? I have seen many websites on alligator lizards that tell the general information about them, but I have never seen anything about the lifespan. Thank you for enduring my long and boring message. jrbl(or josh)
Link

hey josh, where did you find your lizard? that might give some clue as to what it is. i have two northwestern alligator lizards, and i live in oregon (there are lot's of them here.) the only reason i have two is because my sister found bothy of them (at seperate times) injured on here property and i was the only one willing to take care of them, otherwise i don't recommend catching them from the wild. of course it is your choice, and if you already have cared for one for 5 years then i have no doubt that you know what it takes. as for a mate for your lizard, you may want to reconsider as you might end up with many, many baby lizards and then what would you do with them?

anyway, if you could post a photo of your lizard i could tell you for sure whether it is in fact an northwestern, but it probably is if it looks like the one on that link and it was found in the northwestern usa.

colors may not be enough to tell between a north and a south. Although redbacks and light tan colors is an obvious southern cal. they can also occupy the same habitat, under the same rock. but if you put a southern and a northern of same sex and size together, the northern will have a shorter tail (if they have the original tails), and also shorter limbs and toes. also, southerns have a grayish underbelly while northerns are white. finally, and there are books that will go to the details, there is the scale pattern differences. there is a central scale at the center of the lower back part of the head that physically gives it away. for the southern it is just one scale, and for northern they are two small ones instead. northerns, of course, are live bearers.

An easy way to tell northern and southern alligator lizards apart is to look at the belly. Southerns will have a dark stripe seeming to run through the center of the scales while in northerns the dark stripe will be at the edge of the scales.
-Alice

I live in Southwestern Oregon(Douglas County) and I found my lizard, injured, in a rock quarry. I am now convinced that he is a Northwestern Alligator Lizard. I have friends at a wild animal park near my home, and I would like to introduce alligator lizards there. The park has about 600 acres, so I am not to worried about finding homes for the baby lizards. There are areas in the park where the larger animals are not allowed(Evergreen forest areas, wetland areas, and oak scrub areas), and I think these areas will make a good habitat for alligator lizards. Thank you all for your help, Josh