Neighbor Mike shared this tastefully executed collage of creepy-crawly creatures he photographed on Bernal Hill.
In it, we see several members of Bernalwood’s recurring cast of natural horrors, including the California slender salamander Western fence lizard, the Jerusalem Cricket, the gopher snake, and the slimy snail.
Apart from it’s innate taxonomical interest, this collection of local fauna provides an important reminder that Nature, while generally wholesome and wonderful, can also be rather icky and disgusting.
PHOTO: Neighbor Mike
Bernalwood 
That top picture is not a salamander. Probably a Western Fence Lizard.
Thanks! Corrected above
don’t worry- those critters feel the same way about us- rather icky and disgusting- for many good reasons. bleach in the face not being one of ’em.
I am in favor of all those things, except the Jerusalem Cricket.
Seems like the lizard is probably an alligator lizard, whether northern or southern I can’t tell from the image. Western fence lizards have longer legs with respect to the body than do alligator lizards. The tail length of the alligator lizard is longer with respect to the body than is the fence lizard’s.
Definitely not Western Fence. As Rachel says, it is an Alligator Lizard. More details about local lizards here – Reptiles of Bay Area.