Mimic Glass Lizard

Range

Narrow coastal range stretching south from central North Carolina, through southern Georgia, the Florida panhandle, and into southern Mississippi.

Habitats

This ground-dwelling species prefers dry habitats and is most often found slithering through leaf litter in longleaf pine flatwoods. It likes to hide under natural and manmade debris.

Identification

A legless lizard that reaches 15-26 inches in length and has smooth, shiny scales. It is generally smaller than other species of glass lizard. Although it strongly resembles a snake, it differs by having movable eyelids, a inflexible jaw, and external ear holes. Its snout is strongly pointed, and it has a distinctly lizard-like face. Like all glass lizards, it has lateral grooves running the length of its body, where the ventral and dorsal scales meet. On the first several inches of its body, it has distinct speckling, primarily on its sides. This speckling organizes into several alternating black and white longitudinal lines, above the lateral grooves. It typically has a central black dorsal stripe as well. The rest of its back is tan to brown, and its ventrum is pale and unmarked. Its long tail makes up more than half of its total length.

Learn more with Schechter Natural History's Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians