Eastern Glass Lizard

“It’s a lizard, not a snake!”

Wondering why this legless lizard didn’t just go ahead and turn into a snake is beyond the scope of this article, but Ophisaurus ventralis is very much a lizard. It blinks, it has ears, and it can only open its mouth so wide to swallow a meal. Most of its body is made up of a tail, which is fortunate because the lizard has evolved to shed its tail to evade capture. Found only in the American south, sleek and pretty in colors of green, brown, tan, and white, it even makes a good pet for some people. Read on to learn more about the eastern glass lizard.

Five Incredible Eastern Glass Lizard Facts!

Here are five amazing facts about the fascinating eastern glass lizard.

• Before 1954, all glass lizards were considered to be O. ventralis.
• It’s the only species in Ophisaurus that has green among its other colors.
• Once in a while you’ll find an individual with vestigial hind legs.
• The eastern glass lizard is the longest and heaviest glass lizard in its range.
• The glass lizard doesn’t slither like a snake but needs to use its sides to push off of objects to get moving. This can be difficult if the reptile is stranded on a highway.

Scientific Name

This glass lizard’s scientific name is Ophisaurus ventralis. The genus name comes from the Greek words ophio which means “snake” and sauros, which means “lizard.” Ventralis is Latin and means “of the belly.” This describes how the animal moves. There are only one species and no subspecies.

Appearance

The eastern glass lizard is unusual because it is a legless lizard that many people might mistake for a snake. But if you look closely, you will see two tiny earholes and you may see the lizard blink. Ear openings and eyelids are identification markers that separate even a legless lizard from a snake that lacks ears and doesn’t blink. The shape of the reptile’s head is another way to differentiate it from a snake, for the glass lizard has a somewhat longer head and a more pointed snout than most snakes have. It also can’t unhinge its jaw to gulp down large prey.

The eastern glass lizard grows to between 18 and 43 inches in length, and most of that length is made up of the tail, which can be twice as long as the body. In the case of both legless lizards and snakes, the tail begins when the spine no longer has rib bones. The body of this species of glass lizard also has a groove on each side, and the scales at the top and bottom of the body are the same size.

The lizard has smooth and somewhat glossy scales that come in colors of brown, green, tan, and white with dark mottling. The belly is white and unmarked. Some specimens have a tan stripe on the back that’s about six scales wide and may continue to the end of the tail. Adults in this species have white bars or marks on the sides of the neck and head and do not have stripes below the lateral groove. This also distinguishes them from other kinds of glass lizards.

Behavior

The eastern glass lizard is a burrower that is most often active during the day and at dusk. It is often found beneath trash, flower pots, or discarded boards and searches for prey both above and below ground. On warm days it will bask, but only with part of its body exposed to the sun. The lizard hibernates in the winter after burrowing into the soil just south of the frost line.

Famously, if it is caught, a glass lizard may detach its tail which continues to wriggle in the jaws or hand of whatever caught it. The tail often breaks apart, which is why the reptile is called the glass lizard. Once there was a myth that these pieces could grow back together, but it was found to be untrue. The lizard does grow back some of its tail, but this can take years, and the new tail is a different color than the rest of the animal. It is unusual to find a wild glass lizard with an intact tail.

The lizard might also try to bite if it’s handled, but its bite is nonvenomous.

Habitat

Eastern glass lizards are only found in the southeastern United States. As borrowers, they prefer wet habitats and can even be found at the shoreline. They’re also found in pine woods, moist grasslands, wet meadows, and near marshes.

Diet

This lizard is a carnivore and basically eats whatever animal it can handle. This can include members of its species. It mostly eats invertebrates from insects to crayfish to spiders to snails and millipedes, but it also eats bird’s eggs and has been known to eat young mice, snakes, and unrelated lizards.

The glass lizard finds its prey through scent and vision. The one thing that limits its diet is that it can’t unhinge its jaws to swallow very large prey the way a snake can. This is another point of identification when it comes to telling the glass lizard from a snake.

Predators and Threats

Though the glass lizard is itself an efficient predator, it is also part of the diet of a variety of carnivores. They include birds of prey, foxes, raccoons, snakes, and opossums. Wild pigs may eat the eggs. Other threats include climate disruption and traffic accidents, as it is difficult for the lizard to move on a smooth road or highway.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Eastern glass lizards appear to mate in the spring, and the female lays from five to 15 eggs in the summer after excavating a nest in sand or soft loam under a log or leaves or other material. Once laid, she’ll coil around them. She won’t defend the eggs, but if they are dispersed, she’ll roll them back into the nest.

The eggs hatch after 50 to 60 days and the babies are independent at birth and receive no more care from their mother. They are about 6 to 8 inches long, tan-colored, and have dark stripes along their sides that will fade as they mature. These lizards have a lifespan of between 10 and 30 years.

Population

Scientists don’t know the exact population of this lizard, but it is widespread in locations where it is found, and, according to IUCN, its conservation status is least concern.