The specific name, riversiana, is in honor of James John Rivers (1824–1913), a London-born physician and naturalist, who was Curator of Natural History at the University of California.

[4] The San Clemente Island population is a subspecies which is recognized as being valid.

[citation needed] The island night lizard's preferred habitat is coastal scrub made up of dense boxthorn and cacti thickets.

The island night lizard is typically between 2.6 and 4.3 in (6.6 and 10.9 cm) in length, not including the tail.

Its color varies from pale ash gray and beige to brown and black.