Fun Texas Alligator Lizard Facts For Kids
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The Texas alligator lizard (belonging to the family Anguidae) is the largest lizard with limbs. It is found in the rocky land surface in the south of North America, extending from Texas to Mexico.
The history of this species is quite interesting as one of these lizards was first spotted in 1854 by Caleb Kennerly, who was an army surgeon. He wrote about the lizard to a famous naturalist named Spencer Fullerton Baird.
In 1859, Baird gave the scientific name Gerrhonotus infernalis to the lizard as the body of the lizard was found near a river called Devil's River. As 'infernalis' is the Latin word for 'underground' where the devil resided, Baird thought it would be a fitting name for the lizard.
The Texas alligator lizard is diurnal in nature and can conceal itself very well in its surroundings. In case a predator grabs its tail, the lizard can easily shed the tail and run away. It can also pick up its legs and start moving like a snake in order to escape its predators.
Keep reading for more interesting facts about the Texas alligator lizard!
If you liked this article about Texas alligator lizard facts, then also check out the other articles with amazing facts about the garden lizard or banded rock lizard.
Texas Alligator Lizard Interesting Facts
What type of animal is a Texas alligator lizard?
The Texas alligator lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis) is a type of lizard.
What class of animal does a Texas alligator lizard belong to?
The Texas alligator lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis) belongs to the Reptilia class of animals and family of Anguidae.
How many Texas alligator lizards are there in the world?
The exact population of the Texas alligator lizard (Gerrhonotus infernalis) in the world has not yet been calculated by scientists yet. However, they consider the population of these lizards to be quite stable without any immediate risk of decline or extinction.
Where does a Texas alligator lizard live?
The Texas alligator lizard is mainly found in the southern part of the continent of North America. It can be seen in the geographic range between central Texas towards the south in eastern parts of Mexico.
What is a Texas alligator lizard's habitat?
The Texas alligator lizard's geographic range consists of several mid-to-low elevations in the landscape. Consequently, the preferred habitat of this lizard consists of rocky hillsides, slopes, and canyons.
Who do Texas alligator lizards live with?
This lizard species is quite secretive in nature and does not exhibit much social behavior. In fact, they manage to surprise the other animals even within their common areas of habitat.
How long does a Texas alligator lizard live?
Scientists have not yet been able to estimate the exact lifespan of a Texas alligator lizard. However, most alligator lizards live up to 15 years.
How do they reproduce?
This species can carry out breeding and reproduction throughout the entire year. Their reproduction is oviparous in nature, which means females lay eggs after reproduction is complete.
During breeding, males of this species hold the head of the females in their jaws for a long time. Female lizards prefer a wet surface to place their eggs. There are around 8-20 eggs during each cycle and the incubation period lasts for almost two months.
What is their conservation status?
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed this lizard species under the Least Concern status.
Texas Alligator Lizard Fun Facts
What do Texas alligator lizards look like?
This species has a broad head, short limbs, long tail, and heavy scales. The colors of the scales of this species keep changing during its life cycle.
Juveniles have deep brown-colored scales with white-colored bands across them. The adult lizard is yellow-ochre or brown in color with light brown bands across their body to their tail. The tail of this species is also marked with colored bands, but the head does not have any stripes.
How cute are they?
These lizards are not cute at all! With their dull brown-colored body and long tail, they are not very great to look at.
How do they communicate?
Not much is known about how the lizards of this species communicate with each other. During the breeding season, some competing males may be seen fighting with each other.
How big is a Texas alligator lizard?
The average length of this species falls within the range of 24-25 in (61-64 cm).
The Caiman lizard is around twice the size of these reptiles as it can grow up to 23.6-51.2 in (59-129 cm) in length.
How fast can a Texas alligator lizard move?
The exact speed of these reptiles while moving has not yet been calculated. However, it has been observed that these lizards cannot sprint or run very fast.
How much does a Texas alligator lizard weigh?
Scientists have not yet been able to calculate the weight of these reptiles, which are found in Mexico and in the south of the United States of America.
However, their weight is assumed to be in the same range as that of the Southern alligator lizard, which weighs around 1.1 oz (32 g).
What are the male and female names of the species?
There are no specific names to refer to a male or female of this species. Subsequently, they are referred to as a male Texas alligator lizard or a female Texas alligator lizard.
What would you call a baby Texas alligator lizard?
A baby Texas alligator lizard does not have a distinct name. Thus, following the standard terminology for lizards, it is referred to as a juvenile, neonate, or hatch-ling.
What do they eat?
The diet of these lizards is carnivorous in nature, and it includes insects such as beetles, grasshoppers, and caterpillars. Its diet also consists of snails, spiders, and scorpions. They may even prey on bird eggs occasionally.
Are they poisonous?
Although it is widely assumed to be venomous, this lizard species is not poisonous or venomous.
Would they make a good pet?
A Texas alligator lizard would make a good lizard pet like the bearded dragon. They might get quite aggressive, so you might want to handle them with care. However, they are quite strong and will easily adapt to a home environment if it is fed in regular intervals.
Did you know...
This species also has plenty of predators in the wild, including different types of snakes. Apart from racer snakes, rattlesnakes, and garter snakes, they are also preyed upon by the red-tailed hawk or domestic cats.
Are alligator lizards aggressive?
Alligator lizards might get aggressive if it is not handled carefully and, as a result, bite the hand that is holding it. However, adult males are seen to be fighting with each other during the breeding season.
Getting your own Texas alligator lizard
If you want to keep this species as your pet, you can either buy a lizard from a pet store or buy it online. They are usually sold as a juvenile, so they have enough time to adapt to the habitat in your home.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable facts, check out these veiled chameleon facts and Gila monster facts pages.
You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable lizard Mask coloring pages.
*Please note that the main image is of a pygmy alligator lizard, not a Texas alligator lizard. If you have an image of a Texas alligator lizard, please let us know at hello@kidadl.com
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