Northern Alligator Lizard Walking

Northern Alligator Lizard Video Clips

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This Northern Alligator Lizard was in our enclosed breezeway searching for small invertebrates. The video was recorded on August 11, 2005 at 11:34 AM in Waldport, Oregon.

Northern Alligator lizards are ovoviviparous, which means the fertilized eggs develop within the females and they retain the fertilized eggs inside their bodies until they are ready to hatch, thus giving the appearance of bearing "live young" (viviparous). I want to thank Heather Currey, an Interpretive Oregon State Park Ranger, for letting me know that Northern Alligator lizards are technically not viviporous as I originally thought but ovoviviparous. Because she is an Interpretive Park Ranger, she has two captive Northern Alligator lizards. During the month of September, 2008, one of them became a mother and had 5 baby Northern Alligator lizards. How cool is that!

By the way, lizards, like snakes, shed their skin in one piece and will eat their shed.

You can read more about lizards, in particular the Northern Alligator Lizard, in the Critters Section.