CaliforniaHerps.com, Reptiles and Amphibians of California (2024)

Lizard Range Maps

Lizard Photo Index

Lizards of the San
Francisco Bay Area

Lizards of Coastal
Southern California

Lizards of the
Sacramento Area

Alligator Lizards

Large smooth scales, and a long alligator-like snout. Found almost anywhere except in the deserts, mosty during daylight.
Frequently found underneath debris. Commonly found in suburban yards, especially in Southern California.

Western Fence Lizards and Sagebrush Lizards

Small, diurnal lizards with large spiny scales. Western fence lizards (also known as swifts or bluebellies) are very
common, found in a variety of habitats. Sagebrush lizards have slightly smaller scales and are generally found at higher elevations.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Skinks

Smooth, shiny skin, snake-like movement. Can be solid color or striped. Juveniles can have stripes and blue or pink tails.
Generally fond of moist habitats. During daylight, most often found underneath rocks and other debris.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Legless lizards

Resemble small snakes. Rarely found crawling in the open, except at night.
Typically found under objects or leaves, often in gardens in Southern California. Not commonly seen.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, look at the range map below to find which species it is, then click on the species link for more information. (This is difficult now that there are several species.)

Large, diurnal, rock-dwelling desert lizards with large heads and a dark collar around the neck.
Usually seen sitting on top of desert rocks.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Diurnal, long-talied lizards of hot, dry, flat open spaces. Can be striped, or spotted, or both. Almost always in motion.

Introduced to Morro Bay and Laguna Beach, and possibly more a humid locations along the southern coast. Mostly seen on shrubs and trees, occasionally on the ground.

Geckos

Active at night in deserts or semi-arid locations. Often seen on roads at night or underneath debris in daytime.

Peninsula Banded Gecko (aka Barefoot Gecko)

Very rarely encountered. Found only in a few rocky locations in the desert near the Baja California border.

Western Banded Gecko

Commonly seen running across desert roads at night.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Peninsula Leaf-toed Gecko

Not commonly seen. Found on desert rocks at night in a limited area in the southern peninsular range.

Mediterranean Gecko

Active in and around human dwellings, especially under lights at night. Introduced into the southern deserts and quickly spreading throughout southern California and the Central Valley and elsewhere.

Found in areas of the southern deserts with fine wind-blown sand, especially large dunes.
Will run under a bush or dive into the sand to escape.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Typically found on the ground in hot, flat, sandy desert locations, such as dry washes.
Often seen sitting on low rocks when the temperature is very high. Active in daytime.

Desert Iguana

Diurnal. Typically found on the ground in hot, flat, sandy desert locations, such as dry washes and dunes.
Occasionally seen basking on low rocks or other objects. Able to continue activity during extreme heat.

Large, diurnal lizards, preferring open desert or semi-arid habitats.

Extremely rare in California. Venomous. Found only in the extreme eastern Mojave Desert near the Nevada border.

Small, wide, flattened, with many spikes, and horns surrounding the head. Diurnal.
Typically found in open sandy areas in deserts, chaparral, grassland.

A medium-sized greenish lizard, found on large rocks in the peninsular range, from the Baja California Border to near Palm Springs. Usually found near creeks and oases. Diurnal.

A very large, conspicuous lizard, seen on large rocks in rock outcrops and boulder piles in the deserts. Active during the day.

Large lizards with large visible spiny scales. Found in desert and semi-arid habitats and in coastal southern California and the transverse ranges. Usually seen on rocks or trees. Diurnal.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Brush lizards are diurnal desert-dwellers. Tree lizards are only found near the Colorado
River in the extreme southeast. Typically found on trees, bushes, and rocks.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.

Small lizards inhabiting deserts, grassland, or other hot, dry open locations. Very commonly seen during daylight.
This lizard can be abundant where it occurs. Probably the most commonly seen lizard in the desert.

Active day and night in deserts, semi-arid, and mountainous habitats south of the Bay Area, and a few of the Channel Islands.
Common, but rarely observed. During the daytime they are typically found only underneath objects or in rock cracks.

If the lizard you want to identify resembles one of the lizards shown below, go here to continue your search.