Happy World Lizard Day! As you enjoy the end of summer, you may be spending more time in your backyard and meeting new repitilian friends.

So let's introduce you to some of the common native and non-native lizards found in our area...

Green Anole

They are the only native lizard in the Southeast US that can change color. This is probably why they are commonly called chameleons, although this is not true. These anoles can change from bright green to brown or gray. Although change of color is usually due to stress or behavioral cues, it can also be due to temperature or mating displays. Males have a bright pink dewlap (the piece of the skin under the chin that extends during communication with other lizards). Like other anoles, these lizards if caught by a predator can break their tail and escape. The tail will grow back but usually remains a dark brown color. They tend to spend most of their time above the ground in trees or on the sides of buildings. They have slow deliberate movements.

Photo by Emily F, Senior Herpetology Keeper

Brown Anole

Although not native to Florida, this species is probably more commonly seen than the green anole. They spend most of their time on the ground or on trunks of trees. Native to Cuba, these lizards have been established in Florida for around 120 years. They are always brown (cannot change color), but can have lots of variety on the pattern on their backs. Males have a red/orange dewlap.

Photo by Emily F, Senior Herpetology Keeper

Five-Lined Skink

These skinks are so named because of the bright yellow lines on their backs when they are young. This species also has an electric blue tail when they are young. Most of the time they will lose both the stripes and the blue tail as they age, although sometimes females will keep the pattern. When they are adults, they are hard to tell apart from another native lizard, the Broadhead Skink. They enjoy damp areas like leaf litter and decaying logs. They eat a variety of insects.

Photo by Bailey P, Park Ranger

Broadhead Skink

Males of this species have a large head with a bright red/orange coloration. Besides glass lizards, they are the largest native species of lizard in the Southeast, sometimes reaching over 12 inches in length.  Like the five-lined skink, juveniles of this species have lines on their backs and a bright blue tail. Skinks in the southeast are sometimes referred to as scorpions, and lore says they have a venomous sting, but this is completely false. Besides having strong jaws to bite and hold their prey, they are completely harmless to people.

Photo by Daniel D, Park Ranger

Eastern Glass Lizard

This species of lizard is legless, confusing some people into thinking they are snakes. However, if you look closely, you will see both eyelids and ear holes on the heads of this lizard, two things snakes do not have! Glass lizards are so named because like our other native lizards, they can break off their tail to escape a predator, which appears like the breaking of a pane of glass. They are our longest native lizard, sometimes reaching lengths of over 3 feet. Of all the above species, they are the only one we currently have on- exhibit at the zoo. We have a male and female, who have both lived at the zoo since 2009. They can be found in our Wild Florida building on-exhibit with our Southern Toads.

Photo by Emily F, Senior Herpetology Keeper

Mediterranean/House Gecko

If you keep outdoor lights on at night on your house or patio, you may see this species of gecko hanging out trying to catch bugs! As their name implies, this species of gecko is not native to Florida and originated in the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe and Northern Africa. They have large eyes, sticky toes, and are usually very light in color. They are able to vocalize, making a mouse-like squeaking sound.

Photo by Bailey P, Park Ranger

Ways to protect these species and safely enjoy seeing them in your backyard:

• Keep your cats indoors! Cats are not just culprits of killing birds and small mammals. All of the above lizards are caught by cats and if not killed, may suffer life-threatening injuries. Cats can sometimes remove an entire population of lizards from an area.
• Reduce Pesticide use. Using pesticides around your house will reduce food sources for these lizards, all of which consume large varieties and quantities of insects.
• Keep them outside! Although tempting to catch and bring inside, most of these lizards do not thrive in a captive setting and can easily escape enclosures in the house. Appreciate these guys from their native outdoors. Depending on how a lizard looks (certain pattern, scar, tail re-growth) you may begin to notice you see the same lizards every day in the same locations in your yard and you can start to take observations on where and how they spend their time, which can be a fun way to document the lizard community that chooses to call your backyard home!

Written by Emily Fyfe, Senior Herpetology Keeper