Island Night Lizard
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The Island Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana) is a night lizard native to three of the Channel Islands of California: San Nicolas Island, Santa Barbara Island and San Clemente Island. The San Clemente community is a recognized subspecies, the San Clemente Night Lizard, or Xantusia riversiana reticulata. The Island Night Lizard has been listed as a threatened species in the United States since 1977, the IUCN lists the species as vulnerable.
This lizard's preferred habitat is coastal scrub made up of dense boxthorn and cacti thickets. Like other night lizards, it bears live young rather than laying eggs. The island lizards are much larger than their cousins in the genus, the desert night lizards (Xantusia vigilis) of southern California.
References
- Gimenez Dixon (1996). [Xantusia riversiana]. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)
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