The California Poppy is the state flower of California. This specimen was photographed at the Santa Rosa Ecological Reserve near our campus. (CLHS Photo)

Kingdom: Animalia

Common Name:
Southern Alligator Lizard

Scientific Name: Elgaria multicarinata

Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata & Sauria
Family: Anguidae
Genus: Elgaria
Species: multicarinata

Natural Range
The Southern Alligator Lizard is found in a wide variety of places. It ranges from South Washington throughout West Oregon.Onto California into Baja California.

Interesting Facts
Alligator Lizards have prehensile tails. They can use their tail to hang from tree branches and also use it to maneuver through vegetation quite effectively. An average diet fro this lizard consists of various instects, small animals such as young mice and birds, tree frogs, and even other lizards. For this lizard, May is their mating season. A female lays up to 20 eggs in June or July.

Links
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The Southern Alligator Lizard and CLHS

This lizard is an indigenous creature of our school campus. Found underneath rocks, leaves and in vegetation. We have kept two specimens in the science lab since Spring 2002.