Southern Alligator Lizard

Southern Alligator lizard
Elgaria multicarinata

Native to the Bay Area, alligator lizards may live in a park or open space—even your back yard! They are carnivorous and eat almost anything they can catch and swallow: insects, spiders, lizards, baby mice, bird eggs, and even small birds.

Their long tail helps them balance to climb bushes and trees. If threatened, the lizard can “drop’ its tail to distract a predator. With luck, the lizard then escapes, and the tail will eventually grow back.

Our Southern Alligator Lizard, Ali, came to us from EYNC in 2024. She was kept in human care after she was found on the dashboard of a car, making her unreleasable. She was an adult when she was found in 2023, making her somewhere over 3 years old as of 2026. Ali lives next to our skinks.