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.