Bulletin 67 & 68 Lizards of VA
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VIRGINIA HEnPnrnOGICAL SOCIETY SPECIAL IIULLETUY ” ® ( ? "A" SCALE TYPES: SMOOTH (L) SPINY (C) GRANULAR (R) HEAD PLATES OF THE SKINKS (Eumeces) VIRGINIA HERPETOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN No. 67 DESCRIPTION OF THE LIZARDS OF VIRGINIA Identification of the lizards de following pages include a specially- pends, prim arily, upon the sca les on prepared "key to the lizards of Vir the side and top o f the head, and be gin ia " and diagrams recommended fo r neath the tail, as veil as the color. use with that "key" by its author. It w ill be necessary to have, or to It is hoped that the total assembled gain, some familiarity with the large VHS sp ecia l b u lletin (VHS-B Nos. 67 scales or plates on the head and the and 68) w ill a s s is t you in making an belly, as well as the overall appear accurate identification in the field. ance of the collected specimens. The Locality records are badly needed. STANDARD COMMON NAMES (l.) Green Anole (2.) Six-lined Racerunner (3») Northern Coal Skink (4.) Five-lined Skink • (5 .) Southeastern Five-lined Skink (6.) Broad-headed Skink ( 7 •) Ground Skink (8.) Eastern Slender Glass Lizard ( 9») Eastern Glass Lizard ' ' ( 10.) Northern Fence Lizard SCIENTIFIC NAMES FOR VA. LIZARDS 1. Anolis c_. carolinens is 2* Cnemidophorus s . sexlineatus 3. Eumeces a. anthracinus 4. Eumeces fasciatu s • 5. Eumeces inexpectatus 6. Eumeces la ticep s 7. Lygosoma la tera le 8. Ophisaurus attenuatus longicaudus 9. Ophisaurus ventralis 10. Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthinus - 1 - 2 VHS BULLETIN No. 67 KEY TO THE LIZARDS OF VIRGINIA N. D. Richmond, VHS Carnegie Museum, Pittsburgh, Pa. A. With four legs. (Note: Salamanders resemble liza rd s but lack sca les and c la w s . ) ................see "C” Legless, resembles a snake except for presence of movable eyelids, ear openings, and a groove along each side of body. "B" B. White markings on posterior corners of the scales, never in middle of a \ . -J ! scale; no mid-dorsal stripe. (8) Ophisaurus ventralis Eastern Glass Lizard White markings in middle of scales, often forming a stripe; a distinct mid-dorsal stripe. • • • • (9) 0. a. longicaudus Slender Glass Lizard C. Scales smooth and g lo s s y ............. see "F" Scales keeled, spiny, or granular. see "D" D. Scales keeled ending in a small spine; color brown with darker wavy cross-bands. (10) S. £. hyacinthinus Northern Fence Lizard Scales granular; pattern either of yellow longitudinal stripes or ab sent; no cross bands. "E" E. Pattern of six yellow lines, ventral scales rect angular plates, quite d if ferent from granular dorsal sca les ......................... (2) C. sexlineatus Six-lined Racerunner Eody usually uniform green, may be brown or yellow; no lines; ventral scales granular like dorsals. (l) Anolis Carolinensis Green Anole F. Five yellow lines on body including one in middle of - '• ‘.. 'back that divides to form 2 lines on top of head. Small specimens have brigh t blue t a i l s ................. see "H" Four white lin es on body, or none. Never a lin e in middle o f back or on head, tail not blue. Middle . of back uniform brown or tan, sides darker. see !'G" - 2 - Continued on next page: - 3 - VHS BULLETIN No. 67 KEY TO VIRGINIA LIZARDS cont'd G. Black to dark brown band on each side bordered with a white lin e above and below, middle of back gray or olive brown. No transparent d isc in lower e y e lid ...................(3) Eumeces anthracinus Northern Coal Skink Black or dark brown bands on sides not bordered with white lines, middle of back light golden tan. A distinct transparent disc in lower e y e lid ............................... (7 ) Lygosoma late rale Ground Skink H. Genus Eumeces, Blue tailed skinks: Three species in Virginia. These are difficult for the beginner to identify. The most common is (A) the Five-lined Skink (E. fasciatus). If the body is longer than 3ft it is (6) the Broad-headed Skink (E. laticeps ). The other species in Va. is (57 the S.E. Five-lined Skink. The young of a ll three of these are black, with bright yellow lines and a brilliant blue tail. nJ" J. Middle row of subcaudal scales strongly widened, wider than other subcaudal scales. K Middle row of subcaudal scales not conspicuously wider than the other subcaudals . (5) E. inexpectatus Southeastern Five- lined Skink Kj. Fifth upper labial in contact with eye. (k) E. fasciatu s Five-lined Skink Fifth upper labial does not contact eye. (6) E. la tic e ps (but sixth upper la b ia l does). Broad-headed Skink See black and white diagrams: - 3 - - 4 - VHS EULLETIN No. 67 LIZARDS OF_VIRGINIA: Description Data Green^_brownish-green to_gray; color changes. Note£: Prefers moist areas. Climbs trees, shrubs, vines; Pattern: none, uniform or mottled with ir more easily collected after regular dark streaks or spots. dark with gasoline lantern. Belly: tan to white, lighter than back. Lengthj_ Max. 7»5 inches snout-to-vent 2.7 inches Unusual features^ head large., d istin c t from neck; Ave.(incl. tail) 5 in. a pink throat fan under chin in males; small or absent.in females. Toe pads aid in climbing. Juvenile^: same color as adult. Scales small both on back and on belly. Tail is long, round, and slender. (Specimens needed.) (1) Green Anole (Anolis c . carolinensis) Dull_medium to_pale gray; sometimes bluish. Notes_: Prefers sandy or other Dorsal scales 76 to 93 rows. well-drained loose soils, or rocky outcrops and river flood Pattern: Six light stripes, white to yellow plains; a ground dweller. lengthwise (head-to-tail). Short light stripe on sides of ta il extending back from hind leg; Lengthj_ Max. 9*5 inches stripe is bordered by a dark line. snout-to-vent 3 inches Ave.(incl. tail) 6 in. Belly: eight rows of large plates -- whitish in live specimens; bluish in preserved specimens. Juvenile£: 3 2' to 4 inches on hatching; same color as adult. Unusual feature: Long whip-like ta il. (2) Six-lined Pacerunner (Cnemidophorus sex lin eatu s) Uniform brown to_olive_brown; dorsal sca les are Notes_: Prefers damp, wooded smooth, glossy, and in 26 to 30 rows at mid-body. areas; seldom in trees. Pattern: Five white to orange or gold stripes; Lengthy Max. 7*5 inches dark areas between stripes extend from eyes snout-to-vent 3 .0 inches backward along sides. Females tend to retain Ave.(incl. tail) 5 in.' the pattern; males lose it with age, darken. In both sexes the dark bands along sides remain. Juveniles: 5 white to yellow stripes on black background. T ail brigh t b lu e . Length on Unusual feature: reddish-orange cheeks on males. hatching 2 to 2-J- inches, or a snout-to-vent length of 1 in. (3) Five-lined Skink (Eumeces fasciatus) - 4 - - 5 - VHS EULLETIN No. 67 LIZARDS OF VIRGINIA Description Data r k_b rovn__bac kg round; dorsal sca le rows 30 to 3 6 . Notes; Prefers drier areas than other "blue-tailed" skinks. Pattern; Five lig h t strip e s are narrow, otherwise similar to other five-lined skinks in pattern and Lengthy Max. 8.5 inches variation. snout-to-vent 3*5 inches Ave.(incl.tail) 5 i in. Unusual feature; Scales under the t a il are a l l about the same size. Juveniles; Areas between light stripes are black; five thin lig h t strip es become brigh t red to orange on top o f head. (4) Southeastern Five-lined Skink (Eumeces inexpectatus) Olive brown; color, pattern, as in five-lined Notes: A woodland species, it skinks. Dorsal sca le rows 30 to 32. likes hollow trees, logs; is arboreal in habit. Unusual feature: Orange-red head, swollen cheeks. Lengthy Max. 12.5 inches Tail: Middle row of scales under tail wider than snout-to-vent 5*5 inches other subcaudal scales (see diagrams and key). Ave.(incl.tail) 6.5 in. Juveniles^ black; 5 yellow stripes, bright blue tail. At hatching 2.5 to 3»5 inches and may show seven stripes. (5) Broad-headed Skink (Eumeces la tic e p s ) Olive brown to_olive_gray above; broad dark Notes_: Humid portions o f woody la te ra l strip e -- rich brown, 2 to 4 sca les hillsides are favored; springs in width — a narrow white line on each side; and rocky a rea s. dorsal sca le rows 25 at mid-body. Lengthy Max. 7 inches Pattern; A four-lined skink --no light line snout-to-vent 2.75 in. on top of head. Ave.(incl.tail) 5 in. Unusual features £ Light strip e s extend onto Juvenile£: four-lined with blue tail; no dark lines down center of back. tails; patterned as in adults. At hatching, 2 inches; snout- to-vent length 1 inch. (6) Northern Coal Skink (Eumeces anthracinus) - 5 - - 6 - VHS BULLETIN No. 67 LIZARDS OF VIRGINIA Description Data Golden_brown_to blackish-■brown; smooth., small Notes_: Floor o f moist wood- dorsal scales in 26 to 30 rows at mid-body. lands, seldom climbs; lik es water. Found in towns and in Pattern: Dark dorso-lateral stripe. gardens. Unusual featuresj_ A transparent scale or Lengthy Max. 4.7 inches "Window " in lower eyelid; head scales large. snout-to-vent 2 inches Makes la te ra l (snake-like) movements when run Ave.(incl.tail) 3 in. ning. Small limbs, slender, cylindrical body; resembles a salamander. Juvenile^: 1.7 inches at hatching, color same as adult. Belly: White to yellow ish. (7) Ground Skink (Lygosoma la te r a le ) Shiny,_greenish above, many dark lines on sides.