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Can you ID this local lizard?

Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

Cheryl Marchek AKA JM

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Hello~
My neighbor brought me this little fellow caught on a glue trap today. I soaked the trap with some veggie oil to free him~ and I'll be have one of my sons take him up to the woods to let go later this afternoon. Meanwhile~ what is he? I'd like to know just to satisfy my curiosity!
He was captured in Southern California~ a bit North of San Diego
Thanks!
 

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It's an alligator lizard. Looks like a gravid female too. They're easy to keep and the babies are REALLY cute.
 
Thanks Wes!
I expected her to drop her tail with all the stress of the glue trap and being removed~ but she didn't. she seems to be pretty calm and mellow about the entire situation. I was actually thinking of holding her one more day if I could find out what she eats and I'd give her a feed before letting her go.

Is it legal for me to keep her? If so~ tell me what she eats and I'll feed her up until the move and she'll go to you so you can see those cute babies!
 
They're actually really easy to keep. Crickets and mealworms are the mainstays. Give her a moist area to lay in, she looks really ready or really well fed, a hiding place and a basking area in the 90F range. Heat stips from underneath work fine too. They tame down quite well. She'll figure out how to drink out of a bowl but they seem to enjoy an occasional spraying as well.

You may well fall for her and make her make that trip with you. You're legal to keep her, I think you can have 2 per person.

They're one of my favorite native lizards.
 
Cool~ I'll get her some lunch tomarrow and keep her for a few days just to see if she drops a clutch or not. I'm pretty fascinated with her......but I had to sell so many of my critters I wanted to keep so we could make this move......I don't really see me trying to make a wild lizard go with me. Though she can't be a very smart wild lizard....considering how close she came to being a dead wild lizard! (My neighbor knows I am moving and mentioned he would not know what to do when I leave~ I told him glue traps were cruel unless you check and kill the trapped animal quickly~ and how to remove the reptiles from the glue traps~ this is the third reptile he brought me on one.....but I don't really think he will stop using glue traps or rescue the reptiles once I'm gone.....I think the rest of his captures are doomed to the same slow death rodents get on the trap~ I did suggest he could drown his captures in a bucket of water and that was more humane than just throwing them in the trash......but he looked like he thought drowning them was more horrifying than allowing them to die of dehydration on the trap~ out of site out of mind I guess.)

Any way~
I don't know what I'll do with the lizard~ but now that I think he may be a gravid she I am even more fascinated with her! LOL! Simple minds are easily amused!

Wes~ be looking for a PM from me soon. I don't know how soon~ but I should have some more accurate guesses about what I need to leave behind with you soon (if your still willing to take them)~ looks like most of the babies will hatch before I go. There will probably be very little for you to worry over!
 
I kept those as a kid, really they sparked my intrest in reptiles, they're absolutely great! :)

They do tame down very well and are really easy to keep. I caught all of mine in San Diego, usually in the house or garage as they're pretty bold and I think they make really great animals to observe because they are so bold.

You might want to keep her, especially (As I agree with Wes) that she looks gravid :)
 
Hello

Hello,

They are very nice looking lizards, too. :D
Hm, maybe you will be keeping it perhaps??

Tracie
 
I now have 7 Alligator lizards!
That little girl is pretty. She's a southern alligator lizard, for sure.
 
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