The thumbnails below show various lizards or lizard groups in California. Click on any active links (underlined in blue) to bring up a web page discussing the species or group with a selection of photos. All photographs were taken in the wild at the site of discovery; no lizards were harmed in the making of this web site. Most photos are by me although a few friends are also represented. Fundamental resources for identification and distribution of California lizards are the Stebbins' field guides (Stebbins 2003, 1985, 1966); this page follows the taxonomic order of his 2003 guide. Names used herein generally follow Crother et al. (2001). An excellent introduction to lizard-watching in southern California is Sanborn (1994).
GECKOS

Western Banded Gecko Coleonyx variegatus
San Diego Co. [D. Roberson]
IGUANAS

Desert Iguana Dipsosaurus dorsalis
Imperial Co. [D. Roberson]
CHUCKWALLAS

Common Chuckwalla Sauromalus ater
Riverside Co. [D. Roberson]
COLLARED LIZARDS

Great Basin Collared Lizard Crotaphytus bicinctores
Inyo Co. [L. Sansone]
LEOPARD LIZARDS

Long-nosed Leopard Lizard Gambelia wislizenii
Inyo Co. [D. Roberson]
ZEBRA-TAILED LIZARDS

Zebra-tailed Lizard Callisaurus draconoides
Inyo Co. [D. Roberson] 
FRINGE-TOED LIZARDS

Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard Uma inornata
Riverside Co. [D. Roberson]
SPINY LIZARDS

Granite Spiny Lizard Sceloporus orcutti
San Diego Co. [D. Roberson]
SMALL SCALY LIZARDS

Western Fence Lizard Sceloporus occidentalis
Monterey Co. [D. Roberson]
BUSH & TREE LIZARDS

Long-tailed Brush Lizard Urosaurus graciosus
Riverside Co. [D. Roberson]
ROCK LIZARDS

Banded Rock Lizard Petrosaurus mearnsi
San Diego Co. [D. Roberson]
HORNED LIZARDS

Coast Horned Lizard Phrynosoma coronatum 
Monterey Co. [D. Roberson]
NIGHT LIZARDS

Desert Night Lizard Xantusia vigilis
Riverside Co. [D. Roberson]
SKINKS

Western Skink Eumeces skiltonianus
Monterey Co. [J. Sullivan]
WHIPTAILS

Tiger Whiptail Cnemidophorus tigris
Monterey Co. [D. Roberson]
ALLIGATOR LIZARDS

Northern Alligator Lizard Elgaria coerulea
Del Norte Co. [D. Roberson]
LEGLESS LIZARDS

California Legless Lizard Anniella pulchra
San Luis Obispo Co. [J. Sullivan]
POISONOUS LIZARDS

Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum
very rare in extreme southeastern California

[no photo]

 

Many thanks to John Sullivan for his comments on this and many of the linked pages. His keen eye for detail has made these little vignettes much better.

Literature cited:

Crother, B.I., chair. 2001. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Committee of Standard English and Scientific Names, Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Herpetological Circular 29 (as supplemented in Herp. Review 32: 152-153).

Sanborn, S.R. 1994. The Lizard-Watching Guide. Lorraine Press, Salt Lake City, UT.

Stebbins, R.C. 1966. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Stebbins, R.C. 1985. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 2d ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

Stebbins, R.C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians. 3d ed. Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

PHOTOS: All photos © 2003 Don Roberson, except Legless Lizard & Western Skink © John Sullivan, and the Great Basin Collared Lizard © Larry Sansone; all rights reserved.

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