Southern Alligator Lizard
Southern Alligator Lizard, Gerrhonotus
multicarinatus
photo by Daniel Adams of Placerville
At first glance alligator lizards look like fence lizards. However,
anatomically they are so different from other lizards that they are placed in their own
order, like the Turtle Order and the Lizard Order. One major feature setting alligator
lizards apart from other lizards is that the scales of alligator lizards are so large and
bony (they're called osteoderms) that not only are they conspicuous but also they make the
critter's body so stiff that it's hard for it breathe! The breathing problem is overcome
by the presence of a flexible band of soft, granular scales along the side, shown in the
inset at the upper left. When the lizard inhales, this flexible band expands. Alligator
lizards are often found during the day hanging out in junky places. |
