Fun Mexican Alligator Lizard Facts For Kids

The Mexican alligator lizard (Abronia graminea) is one of the most beautiful reptiles that we can find. Its bright emerald green color and presence of scales make it look like a mini dragon.

It may lack the ability to breathe fire, but the blue sheen on its green scales, along with the yellow specks, makes it even more curious-looking. Many people have taken to keeping these wild animals as pets in enclosed spaces because of their unique look.

This species is extant in Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental highlands, and it is arboreal. As a loner reptile, it enjoys hiding in the plants and hunts during the daytime.

It feeds on insects and arthropods found in its natural habitat. Since it comes from a humid habitat, the lizards require a humidity level of almost 80% to remain healthy.

Owners like to use a substrate like sphagnum moss along with a continuous flow of water. In the wild, the lizard likes to sit on top of moss-covered rocks to get cooler on hot days. During the winter months, the lizard tries to find hollow barks or a shaded area to keep itself warm.

Just like chameleons, this species gives birth to babies rather than laying eggs. Sadly, this lizard is currently listed as an endangered species because of rapid habitat loss and the illegal pet trade.

Want to learn more about the Abronia graminea? Then, keep reading to get interesting Mexican alligator lizard facts. Also, check out the articles on caiman facts and sagebrush lizard facts to widen your knowledge about reptiles.

Mexican Alligator Lizard Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a Mexican alligator lizard?

The Mexican alligator lizard, Abronia graminea, which is commonly known as the arboreal alligator lizard, is a colorful reptile endemic to Mexico.

What class of animal does a Mexican alligator lizard belong to?

Like other reptiles, the Mexican alligator lizard belongs to the class Reptilia. This lizard is currently classified under the genus Abronia. In the past, it was part of the genus Gerrhonotus and was known as the Gerrhonotus gramineus.

How many Mexican alligator lizards are there in the world?

Even though the Mexican alligator lizard (Abronia graminea) has been classified to be Endangered, its exact population is yet to be known. Moreover, apart from the wild alligator lizards, there exist captive-bred populations as a consequence of the exotic pet trade.

Where does a Mexican alligator lizard live?

The Mexican alligator lizard is native to Mexico's Sierra Madre Oriental highlands. You can find it in the Mexican states of Puebla, Oaxaca, and Veracruz. The reptiles like to inhabit places with an elevation of up to 4,429-8,999 ft (1,350-2,743 m). Unfortunately, this wild reptile has also entered the human household as an exotic pet.

What is a Mexican alligator lizard's habitat?

As the Mexican alligator lizards are arboreal, it likes to live on trees in hilly forest habitats. The lizard may only fall to the ground in sudden accidents.

This species also likes to search for insects on the trees and is good at camouflaging in its habitat because of the bright green color of its scales.

These reptiles have an affinity towards humidity and are often present near lichens. When kept at home, people usually lay down peat moss or sphagnum moss as a substrate to regulate the humidity level of the enclosure.

Humidity can also be raised by keeping water in the reptile enclosures. The natural sunlight and warm temperature of its environment help the Mexican alligator lizards to get more colorful and bright.

During the winter months, these lizards move to hollow spaces to keep themselves warm. Similarly, during warm days of summer, the reptile tries to control the temperature of its environment by typically inhabiting places like moss-covered rocks.

Who do Mexican alligator lizards live with?

Like many other reptiles, the arboreal alligator lizard also tends to be solitary except for the breeding season. It likes to hide amongst the green foliage of the tree and is primarily active during the daytime.

How long does a Mexican alligator lizard live?

The average lifespan of Mexican alligator lizards is up to 10 years. However, the captive-bred pet lizards that get a good home can have a lifespan of 15-20 years.

How do they reproduce?

Unlike many other reptile species, the Mexican alligator lizard (Abronia graminea) is viviparous. Hence, the females give birth to babies instead of laying eggs.

The usual breeding time of this lizard is during the end of summer and through the fall season. Babies are born during the springtime, and this lizard species has a long gestation period of up to eight months.

A female lizard can give birth to up to 12 young lizards in a single season. The young are fed with small insects for the first months.

Temperature control is very important when it comes to the successful breeding of lizards. Too much heat can lead to early death for the babies; hence the young should be kept in a cooler space.

What is their conservation status?

Sadly, the Mexican alligator lizard is currently classified as an Endangered species in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. This is mainly due to its regular habitat loss and illegal pet trade.

Mexican Federal Law has mentioned it to be a protected animal. Additionally, the Normal Oficial Mexicana list classifies the Mexican alligator lizards as a Threatened species.

Mexican Alligator Lizard Fun Facts

What do Mexican alligator lizards look like?

The Mexican alligator lizard (Abronia graminea) looks quite similar to a baby dragon because of its scales. Adult lizards tend to have colors like bright green or teal, while juveniles are duller with a tan and brown-colored appearance. Proper basking can help these lizards to get the best colors.

Along with the iconic green color you can also see splotches of yellow, especially around the eyes and mouth. Female lizards can have an orange dorsal side along with dark crossbands from the juvenile stage.

These lizards have thick tails and strong legs that allow them to climb trees with ease. The tail also helps the lizard balance itself on branches, and it can regenerate its tail after an accident. This lizard has a triangular head covered with thickened scales.

How cute are they?

The arboreal alligator lizard (Abronia graminea) is extremely cute and adorable as it looks like a baby dragon.

How do they communicate?

As this is a rare species, not much is known about its communication means. It is a shy lizard that likes to hide in the plants. This species doesn't like being handled by anyone and can easily proceed to bite. Like other lizards, this species might also use tactile communication in its native habitat.

How big is a Mexican alligator lizard?

The Mexican alligator lizard can have an average size range of up to 6-12 in (15-30 cm). It is about the same size to the length of the southern alligator lizard, which grows up to 12 in (30 cm).

How fast can a Mexican alligator lizard run?

Not much is known about the running speed of this lizard.

How much does a Mexican alligator lizard weigh?

The average weight range of this lizard is up to 0.7 oz (21 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no specific names for the males and females of this species.

What would you call a baby Mexican alligator lizard?

A baby Mexican alligator lizard (Abronia graminea) can be called a neonate. The term hatchling doesn't go with the species as the adult females give birth to live young.

What do they eat?

The diet of the Mexican alligator lizards contains food items like insects and arthropods. When kept at home, these lizards prefer live food like crickets or worms.

However, not much is known about the food choices of wild lizards in their native habitat.

The diet of the Mexican alligator lizards should be rich in protein, and it is recommended to gut load the insects before feeding them to the lizard. Do not feed the Mexican alligator lizards with fruits and vegetables, but you can feed them insects to increase their nutrition.

Are they poisonous?

No, these reptiles aren't poisonous. Due to some local legends, these animals were thought to be poisonous, and locals may call it the 'escorpion de arbol' or tree scorpion. The superstition might have started because the lizards go in for a bite when irritated.

Would they make a good pet?

Isn't it tempting to have a small dragon-like creature at your home? Many people have taken to buying captive-bred Mexican alligator lizards because of their unique scaled look.

Unfortunately, this has contributed to the decline of the lizard's population in its natural habitat. This wild animal isn't meant to live in someone's home, and it needs the proper humidity, temperature, and environment of its native place.

Moreover, as a protected animal, having this lizard as a pet can land you in jail. If you happen to get hold of an arboreal alligator lizard, you should take proper care of it. Make sure that it has enough space in the enclosure.

Proper ventilation is also required to regulate the temperature of the tank. Set up UVB lamps to facilitate the basking of light from the lizard.

Basking in UVB light can help the lizard to maintain its health and color. It won't appreciate a sudden drop in temperature, so humidity and ventilation should always be checked.

The substrate is another important thing to regulate humidity, and misting can also help on hot days. An automatic misting system can also be installed for better regulation of the moisture level.

These lizards may do well with a lower temperature at night.

As an arboreal lizard, it is found on top of plants; hence many people like to place plants in its enclosure. Feeding time should be proper as these species mainly feed during the daytime as it isn't active at night.

An elevated feeding dish helps the Mexican alligator lizards in eating. Even though the lizards do not face a lot of health issues, we will recommend you take them to the vet for an overall health checkup.

Sadly, many Mexican alligator lizards (Abronia graminea) are up for purchase. The typical cost of a lizard is around ‎$119-$329.

Did you know...

The Mexican alligator lizards are one of only 28 species of alligator lizards.

Are Mexican alligator lizards endangered?

Yes, Mexican alligator lizards are currently listed as an Endangered animal on the IUCN Red List. The decline in its wild population has been due to extensive poaching for the pet trade and adverse habitat loss.

Do alligator lizards eat cockroaches?

Yes, like most other reptiles, the Mexican alligator lizards can also eat cockroaches, but it would be better to give them insects like crickets.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other reptiles including Common Death Adder Facts or Great Basin Gopher Snake Facts.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable Mexican alligator lizard coloring pages.