Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,

I live in northern CA. This subadult AL was lucky to survive my attack on the ivy, but he moved and I saw him.

Since I was a kid I've caught alligator lizards (caught, and released a few minutes later), mostly because I like reptiles in general, and for AL's belligerant attitude in particular. I used to make them get a bite on my finger and see how long they would hold on. Big ones have impressive jaw pressure.

I have this guy in a suitable habitat with a warm zone, a hide, water, and one or two crickets at all times.

My questions:
1.) Do captive al's need to brummate?
2.) What species of al do you-all think I have? I'm just north of San Francisco, in Sonoma County.

Roger

Captive als do not need to brumate, although keepers will often note decreased activity / appetite with the onset of shorter days and cooler temperatures.

Both northern and southern alligator lizards occur in Sonoma County. An easy way to tell the difference between the two is to flip the al over. If the dark lines on the belly appear to run between / on the sides of the scales it's a northern. If they appear to run down the center of the scales, it's a southern. I believe that it is the California subspecies of southern al and the San Francisco subspecies of northern al that occur up there.

-Alice