Have you seen a legless lizard?

10 years ago

When walking the dog, he went after something which scurried across the sidewalk and wedged itself against a wall. I took a look at it, and it looked like a tiny snake. I glanced up to see if any neighbors were out and might want to take a look (none were), and when looking back to the ground, it was gone. I googled "legless lizard" and found we do have some in CA but not sure if that was actually what I saw. It was only about 3" long and quite thin.

Anyone here see them in your areas?

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Comments (12)

Suzi AKA DesertDance So CA Zone 9b
10 years ago
We've got lizards of all sizes, and I've never seen one without legs. We have a lot of snakes too! Interesting post.
gregbradley
10 years ago
What makes you think it wasn't a snake?

It would be far more likely. It would be hard to tell without close examination.
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nil13
10 years ago
I have dug up a couple of legless lizards in my yard here in LA. I have also dug up a couple of ringneck snakes too. Those are really cool.
socks
Original Author
10 years ago
I have gardened in this area for decades and have never seen a snake. I guess it could have been, though.

This post was edited by socks12345 on Sun, Sep 15, 13 at 12:37
Min3 South S.F. Bay CA
10 years ago
I have seen ringneck snakes, garter snakes, a king snake and a rattler here so probably i have seen the legless lizard and didn't recognize that it wasn't a snake. i will look closer from now on. thanks for the info. min
hosenemesis
10 years ago
I'll bet you dollars to donuts it was a juvenile alligator lizard. They have tiny little feet that fold up next to their bodies and they zig-zag like a snake. They also have little snaky heads. I mistake them for snakes all of the time.
socks
Original Author
10 years ago
OK, that's a good possibility then. We have had a lot of lizards over the past years. (Previously I never saw them.) Thanks, Renee. You are so knowledgeable.
nil13
10 years ago
Alligator lizards have a distct pattern and the legless lizards have longitudinal stripes. They are pretty distinct once you have seen both.

Here is a link that might be useful: california legless lizard
Central_Cali369
10 years ago
It could also be a skink. We get Red-Tailed Skinks and the ocassional blue skink where I live. They move very fast and unless they're standing still, you can't see the legs.
hosenemesis
10 years ago
We found a California King Snake today in Palmdale at my father-in-law's. A beautiful black and white one with silky smooth scales and a cute little white polka dot on top of its head. His little tongue was black too. It's the first one I have ever seen, so I was pretty excited. I got to hold it. We had to move it out of dad's yard because the dog likes reptile snacks.
Renee
socks
Original Author
10 years ago
I'm glad you relocated it, Renee. (I kept an albino king snake as a classroom pet for a number of years. It was a nice pet, and I hope Ozzie contributed to children's knowledge that snakes are important animals just like the furry ones.)

Check out the link below from the LA Times this morning. There is an interesting article about legless lizards. I suspect what I saw was not a legless since they seem to live hidden under leaf litter and and shallowly in sandy soil. Very interesting and helpful article!

This post was edited by socks12345 on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 14:59
hosenemesis
10 years ago
Interesting read. The snake we saw was a common king snake, not a mountain king snake.
Now I want to see a legless lizard!