Island Night Lizards: San Clemente Island

Island Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana), endemic to the California Channel Islands where it is found only on Santa Barbara Island and adjacent Sutil Rock, and on San Nicolas and San Clemente islands — islands lacking snakes. Undisturbed rocks and vegetative cover are important in providing shelter and refuge for this species. Individuals may live into their teens. Females do not mature sexually until their third or fourth year, and they reproduce only every other year. Island night lizards are larger than their cousin species of desert night lizards. About 30% of their diet consists of vegetable material. The San Clemente Island population is considered a recognized subspecies (ssp. reticulata). Recent research indicates that Island night lizards have a very limited home range, and travel no more than 50 feet over a one-year period. Island Night Lizards are considered a threatened species.