Elgaria multicarinata (Southern Alligator Lizard)
about the species
The southern alligator lizard Elgaria multicarinata, with two long-recognized subspecies (Elgaria multicarinata multiarinata, the forest or California alligator lizard; Elgaria multicarinata webbii, the woodland or San Diego alligator lizard), and the closely related Elgaria panamintina (Panamint alligator lizard) have a broad range encompassing most of the oak woodland/grassland habitats of California (multicarinata) plus an important, often under-represented habitat type in the White Mountains and associated ranges of the Great Basin (panamintina). The panamint alligator lizard is an important conservation target: it is a California Species of Special Concern (SSC, Thomson et al., 2016), and is under consideration for listing at the federal level.
why species was selected
This group of lizards satisfy the combination of broad habitat generalist and narrow endemic conservation target of the CCGP. In addition, E. multicarinata is the most urban-tolerant lizard in the state, and understanding how it tolerates urban development is an important conservation goal. Resolving the highly questionable taxonomy (many researchers do not feel that panamintina is a defensible species) is also important for effective conservation efforts.
