Exit Light.

Enter night.
Grain of sand...

- Metallica, Enter Sandman


This quick posting is directed particularly for my herpetology-minded counterparts and friends.

San Clemente Island has a number of endangered plant species, a couple of birds, a fox, and a reptile.

A week or so ago a work truck had been "high-centered" on a very bad road that was made worse by unusually copious amounts of rain the island has experienced. The rain had stopped many days before, but due to the soil being mostly clay, water seepage into it takes awhile.

Nevertheless, thankfully for the crew in that vehicle, my group of three where scheduled to use the same road.

After going through one tow strap, we were finally able to pull the stuck vehicle out of the rut. Man, that left wheel well was buried.

We also used many rocks to put behind that tire, and then to attempt to level out the road afterwards.

Under one large cobble was this guy:


San Clemente Night Lizard (Xantusia riversiana reticulata)

The Island Night Lizard (X. riversiana) was listed as Threatened in 1977. The San Clemente subspecies, pictured above, was de-listed in 2006 in part due better control of munitions-sparked wildfire, and the continuing revegetating effort underway since the Navy removed cattle and particularly goats from the island.

One issue that still remains for not only the SCI Island Night-Lizard, but for other wildlife as well is the population of feral cats. Back in the day, when the island was used as a working ranch, before it changed over to the Navy, some humans let their cats roam.

The descendants of those cats, generations since, are feral, wild, stealthy, efficient hunters that have added an enormous and quite unneeded and ill-prepared for predator pressure.

The company I work for has a predator management team on the island.

Often found within the gastro-intestinal tract of theses descendants of Fluffy are Island Night Lizards.

Friends, neighbors, fellow countrymen and women; for the health of the wildlife, for the health of your cat, and to prevent reproduction of feral born kittens, keep your kitty indoors.

Google "feral cats" on some rainy day when you have time. Check out some studies and peer-reviewed studies, all the while petting your happy and quite content HOUSE cat.

Back to Island Night Lizards:

Island Night Lizards are known only to occur only on Santa Barbara, San Nicholas, and San Clemente Islands; with the San Clemente population recognized as a subspecies.

Like other Night Lizards (family Xantusiidae), the Island Night Lizard gives birth to live offspring rather than egg-laying.

Night Lizards may have originally been mistaken as nocturnal due to their somewhat secretive lifestyles. They are in fact diurnal. I will see these guys, not too uncommonly, sunning themselves, scurrying under vegetation, and once, under a rock.

Have a Night Lizard story to share? Please do.

Kidding. Kind of. Not really. Any herp-folks, please elaborate and discuss should the mood strike you.

Brilliant creatures. The Island Night Lizard I mean; not herp-folks. Okay, maybe herp people too....on occasion.

Good morning.