I recorded this video in Henly (10 mi. west of Dripping Springs) on October 31, 2018. It was at a house on top of a hill overlooking canyons with woody areas and rocky streams all around. The alligator lizard is common but seldom seen. It lives in the scrub vegetation and rocky terrain, typical in Hays County. It is the largest lizard in Texas and one of the largest species of alligator lizard in the world. It has a lifespan of about 15 years and grows to approximately 20-24” in length. Many cultures consider them to be venomous, but they are not.
It is a diurnal lizard found in the central region of the state of Texas and south into Mexico. It has strong tail, weak legs and yellow eyes with closable eyelids. Its typical diet includes ground beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, crickets and small rodents. They occasionally eat small birds. It mates year round, has good vision, and lays eggs (sometimes in rodent burrows).