Eastern Glass Lizard
Ophisaurus ventralis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Anguimorpha, Family: Anguidae, Subfamily: Anguinae, Genus: Ophisaurus, Species: Ophisaurus ventralis
Southeastern United States, ranging from southeastern North Carolina south to Florida and west to Louisiana.
Look up Eastern Glass Lizard in the Snake Encyclopedia →Family
Order: Squamata, Suborder: Anguimorpha, Family: Anguidae, Subfamily: Anguinae, Genus: Ophisaurus, Species: Ophisaurus ventralis
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with localized threats primarily arising from habitat loss and fragmentation.
Physical Description
Legless lizard with a yellowish-green to brown back, a dark longitudinal stripe down the middle of the back, and a light-colored belly. Exhibits external ear openings and moveable eyelids, which distinguish it from snakes.
Size & Dimensions
Typical total length ranges from 45 to 108 cm (18 to 43 inches), with the tail comprising more than half of the total body length.
Habitat
Found in open habitats such as pine flatwoods, grasslands, coastal areas, and agricultural fields, often hiding under debris or burrowing in sandy soils.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on insects, spiders, snails, and occasionally small rodents or other reptiles, hunting actively as a forager.
Reproduction
Oviparous species, laying clutches of eggs typically numbering 5 to 15 in underground burrows or beneath debris during the summer months, with females often guarding the nest.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, with localized threats primarily arising from habitat loss and fragmentation.
Cultural Significance
Often misunderstood and mistakenly killed as a snake, though beneficial in controlling insect populations.
Notable Features
Capable of caudal autotomy, meaning the tail can break off into multiple pieces when attacked by a predator, distracting the predator while the lizard escapes.