| REPTILES PHOTO INDEX
LIZARDS
Broad-headed skink
Fence lizard, northern
Five-lined skink
Ground skink
Wall lizard, European
SNAKES
Poisonous Snakes
Brown snake, midland
Brown snake, northern
Copperhead, northern
Fox snake, eastern
Garter snake, Butler's
Garter snake, eastern
Garter snake, eastern plains
Green snake, eastern smooth
Green snake, rough
Green snake, western smooth
Hog-nosed snake, eastern
Kingsnake, black
Kirtland's snake
Massasauga, eastern
Milk snake, eastern
Queen snake
Racer, black
Racer, blue
Racer, yellow-bellied
Rat snake, black
Rattlesnake, timber
Red-bellied snake, northern
Ribbon snake, eastern
Ring necked snake, northern
Smooth earth snake, eastern
Water snake, copperbelly
Water snake, Lake Erie
Water snake, northern
Worm snake, eastern
Worm snake, midwest
TURTLES
Blanding's turtle
Box turtle, eastern
Map turtle, common
Map turtle, Ouachita
Musk turtle, common
Painted turtle, midland
Red-eared slider
Smooth softshell turtle, midland
Snapping turtle
Spiny softshell turtle, eastern
Spotted turtle
Wood turtle
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Lizards are closely related to snakes, and belong to the same order (Squamata), Unlike snakes, lizards usually have four legs, external ear openings, and movable eyelids. Instead of the snake's single row of ventral scales, lizards have several rows of scales on their undersides.
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| Northern Fence Lizard |
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| Ground Skink |
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| Five-Lined Skink |
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| Broad-Headed Skink |
There should be no confusion between salamanders and lizards-salamanders have smooth, slimy skin and their toes have no claws. Lizards have rough, dry, scaly skin and claws on their toes. There are about 90 species of lizards in America, most of which are native to the Southwest. Four species are native to Ohio, and one exotic species has become established. They are very beneficial, feeding largely on insects such as grasshoppers, crickets, and beetles, and various insect larvae.
NORTHERN FENCE LIZARD
Sceloporus undulatus hyacinthintus
Unlike skinkcs, fence lizards belong to a group of rough-scaled reptiles called spiny lizards. They are tree climbers. When encountered on the ground, fence lizards will usually dart to the nearest tree, climb up the side opposite their pursuer and remain motionless. If they are approached closely, they will continue up the trunk, making sure always to stay on the side opposite the pursuer.
Although found in a variety of habitats, fence lizards seem to prefer the dry, wooded hillsides that characterize most of unglaciated Ohio.
Males can be distinguished from females by the dark blue band, outlined in black, across their throat and an iridescent patch of blue on each side of the belly. The male's back is less distinctively patterned than the female's.
GROUND SKINK
Scincella lateralis
This very small skink is limited to the extreme southern part of the state, where it seems to prefer open areas in or adjacent to voids It may by found by turning over large stories arid by sifting through fallen leaves. Although it is the least common lizard encountered in Ohio, a number have been reported in Scioto County. The best field mark is the dark brown stripe, bordered by stark brown or black, running down the length of the back.
FIVE-LINED SKINK
Eumeces fasciatus
Skinks are among the fastest reptiles in the world, and when encountered they dart quickly for cover. Individuals almost always bite when first captured, but their extremely small teeth cannot penetrate the skin. The tail, which is blue in young specimens, serves as a most unusual defense mechanism. If a skink is grabbed by the tail, the tail breaks off. While the would-be capturer's attention is held momentarily by the vigorously wiggling tail, the skink makes a speedy getaway. In time, the skink will grow a new tail, although it will not be as long or as brightly colored as the original one.
Five-lined skinks occur throughout Ohio. They can often be located under the hark of decaying logs, or in stumps, rock piles, or decaying plant material. They are also found along Lake Erie, and in similar moist locations.
BROAD-HEADED SKINK
Eumeces Iaticeps
The broad-headed skink, which grows from 6 to 12 inches long, is the largest lizard in Ohio. The female and young closely resemble the female and young of the five-lined skink Young specimens even have a bright blue tail. Large males become a uniform olivebrown and have considerable red coloration on the head. The back of the head is greatly enlarged.
This skink is essentially a woodland inhabitant. It is found only in several counties in the southern half of the state, and is rare even there. Occasionally, broadheaded skinks can be observed high in the branches of dead trees. This skink has the distinction of being the most arboreal of all our skinks.
EUROPEAN WALL LIZARD
Podarcis muralis
This exotic species was introduced into Cincinnati in 1951, and seems to have become fairly well established. Two individuals reportedly were brought here from northern Italy by a local resident after a vacation near Milan, and were released in a backyard setting. The lizards now occupy an area slightly larger than two square miles, with population densities of 1,500 animals per acre in good habitat. Because they have persisted for nearly 40 years, and survived through record-setting severe winters, they should probably be considered permanent residents.
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