Chaparral tank is going be finished

Our chaparral tank housing three lizards will be finished later on this year during the summer. For now, lets look at the main inhabitants.

Francis is our western fence lizard. They are known for their elaborate mating behavior where the male demonstrates his strength by doing pushups. During the day, they are most often seen basking on fence posts and other exposed areas. Fence lizards sleep and hibernate by burying into loose soil. These lizards have the unique ability to cure lyme disease. They sometimes host ticks, and protein in the lizards blood kills the lyme disease in the tick. This species is native to the west coast and are known for adapting to urban lifestyles and are found in suburban areas such as SoCal and Marin County.

Alex and Almer are male southern alligator lizards. Though ours are juveniles, they can grow up to 12" long, their prehensile tail making up about half their length. They are usual found in coastal chaparral, woodland and open meadow habitats from Washington to SoCal. In SoCal, they are commonly found in backyards and are know as "backyard lizards." These lizards have the unique ability to adjust their body temperature, which gives them an advantage during the winter.