After a week of indoor work, an Earth Minute can seem elusive. But all it takes is a few moments outside and an Earth Minute finds you. This adult southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) is living under one of the native California lilac, or ceanothus, in the front yard. She is probably the mother of the juvenile we rescued from the garage.
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If you look closely you can see where she has lost her original tail and regrown the current tail. The coloring is less complex and doesn't quite match her body. Alligator lizards can let their tail break off in order to startle and redirect a predator. It is an amazing evolutionary adaptation. The breakage occurs through a vertebra; kind of like the perforations between saltine crackers. The musculature comes apart at these breakage sites as well. There is little blood loss and nerves in the tail will continue to make it twitch for several minutes. The continued movement of the tail tricks the predator into thinking it's caught the whole lizard. The tail grows back, but the bone is not replaced. The replacement tail can break again if needed. Science has yet to figure out exactly how this tail replication takes place. This alligator lizard is one of our yard's natural predators and the benefit of a yard that provides habitat.
A garage can be a dangerous place when you're a young reptile. What looks cool, quiet and safe, can be a food desert.
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This juvenile southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) is an effective hunter of insects and other arthropods in the yard, but the garage was nearly its doom. It just took a moment to scoop it up and move it outside where it belonged. A few weeks later we had a minute with an adult alligator lizard that is probably this little guy's mother.
Though small right now, this alligator lizard will grow up to prey on the western fence lizards. (When an alligator lizard hunts its neighbors.) It's a jungle in our suburban yard.
Two species of lizards inhabit our yard. Take a minute to watch them reveal how different they are from each other.
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The western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) are diurnal (active during the day), numerous, and prey on a variety of small insects–including flies and ants. They are highly visual–sitting in prominent locations watching for food or competition and creating visual displays in response to territorial challenges and mate attraction. Males do push-ups to show-off blue-colored chests and extend a flap of skin under the throat called a dewlap. (Watch the subordinate male in the video.) We typically have several batches of youngsters each year.
The southern alligator lizard (Elgaria multicarinata) is more secretive, solitary, and predatory. Notice its short legs, elongated body and long tail. It travels through foliage using a serpentine movement. This lizard will prey on the juvenile fence lizards, as well as snails, slugs, and larger insects. The alligator lizard locates prey and mates using its slightly forked tongue and following scent and pheromone trails. On warm summer nights, they are still out hunting the sleeping juvenile fence lizards. Take a minute to watch for the wildlife in your backyard and you might discover it's a world of predator and prey.
