Eastern Glass Lizard
Ophisaurus ventralis • Order: Squamata, Suborder: Anguimorpha, Family: Anguidae, Subfamily: Anguinae, Genus: Ophisaurus, Species: O. ventralis
Southeastern United States, ranging from 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: O. ventralis
Conservation
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation, conversion of land for agriculture, and mortality from domestic pets.
Physical Description
Elongated, legless lizard with a yellowish-green to brown body, a distinctive lateral fold running down the length of the body, and visible ear openings and eyelids (distinguishing it from snakes).
Size & Dimensions
The pictured specimen appears to be an adult around 45 cm; total lengths for the species typically range from 45 to 108 cm (18 to 43 inches).
Habitat
Pine flatwoods, wet savannas, grasslands, agricultural fields, and coastal dunes, usually favoring moist soils and areas with abundant cover.
Diet & Feeding
Feeds primarily on insects, spiders, snails, and occasionally small rodents or reptile eggs, using an active foraging strategy.
Reproduction
Oviparous, laying clutches of 8 to 20 eggs in underground burrows or beneath decaying vegetation, with the female typically brooding the eggs until hatching.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List status is Least Concern, though local populations face threats from habitat fragmentation, conversion of land for agriculture, and mortality from domestic pets.
Cultural Significance
Often misunderstood and needlessly killed due to the mistaken belief that they are snakes; beneficial ecologically for controlling insect and pest populations.
Notable Features
Capable of caudal autotomy (dropping its tail when threatened, which can break into multiple pieces), which gives the genus its common name 'glass lizard'.