Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just found a very beautiful alligator lizard today. It has a shade of green to it. It is just beautiful.

First, I need to tell the sex of the thing because I have one already and want it to be a pair. What does a hemipenis look like?

Second, the color is really great on this thing. What do I have to do to make sure that it keeps it nice shade of green?

Third, it lost its tail before but has grown it back. Will it eventually match its body scales again after a shed or something?

Fourth, how often do these guys shed?
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First, I need to tell the sex of the thing because I have one already and want it to be a pair. What does a hemipenis look like?

They stick out of either side of the vent - pinkish protusions - but males don't always display.

Second, the color is really great on this thing. What do I have to do to make sure that it keeps it nice shade of green?

Several things can effect color shade, including temperature and health and season.

Third, it lost its tail before but has grown it back. Will it eventually match its body scales again after a shed or something?

No - it will never look like an original tail.

Fourth, how often do these guys shed?

Every couple of months.
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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

If you can post a picture of your alligator lizards - we may be able to make good guesses at sex from head shape.
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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Help me tell the sex for these guys.

BTW... If any of you are worried about the substrates, it is a special kind of sand that I posted earlier. The new environment that I am building for these guys will be motches.
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They look female to me, and possibly gravid.
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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Hi Funky,

Maybe the one on the right because I found it a few days ago. She is digging a lot.

But the one on the left, it can't be gavid(pregnant) because I have it for a while now and there are no males around if your prediction that they are females. It could be the fact that I fed the one on the left so much crickets.

Is the fact that the one on the right digging so much, could that mean she is looking for a place to bury her eggs?

Thank You
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Sometimes they lay without mating - though they are infertile when that happens (small and yellowish opposed to white).
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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

Thanks for letting me know because I did not know that.
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BTW... Do you have a picture of a male that is about the same size so that I can tell the difference?

Thanks
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My male and female (male has reddish back):

The males head -

I apologize for low quality. Camera has absolutely no manual focus capability, and sometimes it can't figure out what to focus on.

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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

So the male is the top on in the first picture right?

Thanks for posting your pictures. Those are nice. I do think mine are San Diego. What are yours - Northern?
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Mine are California subspecies of Southern species - but I'm awfully close to the integrade range with Oregon subspecies, so there may be some Oregon subspecies gene flow into this locale.

Southern alligator lizard has three subspecies (maybe more in Mexico, I'm not sure) - San Diego, California, Oregon.

Northern is a different species alltogether - and is live bearing.
Northern has several subspecies as well - San Francisco, Shasta, Sierra occur in California, Northwestern subspecies from Oregon up to British Columbia.
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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

What is this one? It has a huge triangular head.

http://www.backyardchickens.com/LC-alligator-lizard.html

Also, so the male is the one on top in the first picture right that you posted right?

How do you know so much about Northern vs Southern and the subspecies?
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That one could be a male.

-=-
I've kept several different kinds of alligator lizards in my youth.

California alligator lizards (from Walnut Creek) were the first reptile I ever had, when I was 9. The first I caught laid 10 eggs which hatched.

I've also kept San Diego, San Francisco, and Shasta - and found Sierra but never kept any. I've has Shasta that gave live birth for me.

Also, Doctor Robert C Stebbins was a family friend.

If you don't yet have his field guide, it is worth getting.
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3.6 L. getula californiae (Cal. King)
1.1 L. getula nigrita (MBK)
1.0 Pantherophis guttatus guttatus (Corn)
1.0 Thamnophis sirtalis fitchi (Valley Garter)
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
3.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata (Cal. Alligator Lizard)

I posted those pictures but how come the "image" icon does not show in the main forum?

Let me try it again.

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Did it but how do I post several images in one post like the other one?

http://forums.kingsnake.com/view.php?id=1298640,1300135

Sorry for all the elementary questions.
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