Basking Weather

Northern Alligator Lizard catches a few rays

Northern Alligator Lizard, basking in BC sunshine. Photo by kc dyer.

With all the whale and bear sightings lately, some of the shyer denizens of the forest also deserve a moment in the spotlight.

This Northern Alligator Lizard took some time to bask in the bright sunshine on a local driveway this week.

These lizards are found all around coastal and southwestern BC, favouring vegetation and rocks or debris for cover. In winter, they hibernate in rock crevices, nesting below the freezing line. They like to eat large insects, and are able to autotomize (discard) their tail if they need to escape a predator.

You can read more about Northern Alligator Lizards, along with other BC reptiles HERE.

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