Named for its elongate shape and thick folds of skin along the sides, the alligator lizard will also defend itself vigorously, biting and smearing feces over a captor. Like many other lizards, it will drop its tail easily to escape from a predator, later regenerating a new, although shorter and different-looking, tail. One of our larger lizards, it may approach 20 inches in length with a full, unbroken tail. The young, with their bright blue tails and vivid stripes, are startling. The colors fade with age, and the exact reason for such noticeable colors are not known.
Prey consists of insects and other small arthropods.
Skinks are active during the day, but are secretive, often hiding beneath objects on the ground or in vegetation. Glossy snakes are found throughout much of the United States, in open fields, chaparral, farmlands, grasslands, and deserts. In regions where the weather gets very hot, it is active at night. It eats rodents, lizards, eggs, and insects or other invertebrates. It is a good burrower and spends much time underground.