Family: Anguidae, Anguid Lizards view all from this family
Description 10-16 7/8" (25.4-42.8 cm). Eyes yellow. Distinct fold along sides. Reddish brown to yellow gray; distinct crossbands on back and tail. Dark stripes on center of belly scales. Young have light band along back.
Subspecies Five; 3 in our range:
California (E. m. multicarinata), dark mottling on head, red blotches down middle of back; n. California south along coast and Cascade Mountains to Los Angeles, also on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz islands.
Oregon (E. m. scincicauda), no dark marks on top of head, scales of upper foreleg smooth; s. Washington and Columbia River Basin into w. Oregon and n. California.
San Diego (E. m. webbii), no dark marks on head, 3-4 rows of keeled scales on upper foreleg; Sierras east of the San Joaquin Valley southwest to the coast near Los Angeles, also San Nicolas and Santa Catalina Islands, and into Baja California.
Breeding 2-3 clutches of 1-41 eggs (average 12) are laid during the warm months.
Habitat Grasslands, open woods, moist areas; wherever cover is plentiful, but primarily oak woodlands of foothills.
Range S. Washington south through w. Oregon and California into n. Baja California.
Discussion Primarily diurnal. This lizard can sometimes be found climbing bushes as it searches for insects and other small prey. Its stiffly prehensile tail can wrap over small branches to aid climbing. If grabbed roughly, it may bite or defecate. It feeds on almost any animals, vertebrate or invertebrate, that it can catch and swallow.
