Squamata       suborder Sauria Ophisaurus attenuatus -- Slender Glass Lizard

Search for another IL amphibian or reptile Search for IL amphibians & reptiles by county Go to the INHS Amphibian & Reptile Collection homepage Search the INHS collections data for amphibians & reptiles Search the INHS Type Specimen Data for amphibians & reptiles	Purple shade indicates vouchered specimens. Light blue (cyan) shade indicates photographic records. Yellow shade indicates verified sighting. Slanted hatch indicates pre-1980 records only NOTE: Not all specimens upon which these maps are based have been verified.
	Key Characters: Limbs absent; dark longitudinal stripes flank a noticeable groove on each side of the body. Similar Species: May be distinguished from snakes by the presence of movable eyelids and external ear openings. Subspecies: Western slender glass lizard, O. a. attenuatus. Description: A long (up to 90 cm TL), slender lizard with yellow to brown back sporting six longitudinal stripes, including a distinct middorsal stripe. White flecks in the middle of the scales sometimes form light stripes. Habitat: Prairies, sand prairies, old fields, and dry open woodlands. Natural History: Known as the glass lizard because of the easily broken tail. Glass lizards eat invertebrates and small lizards. Mating occurs in May and 5 to 15 eggs are laid in late June or July. Hatchlings range from 10 to 13 cm TL. Hawks and carnivorous mammals are the main predators. Status: The slender glass lizard is not listed as threatened in Illinois although it is seldom encountered (see distribution map, above).
	©Illinois Natural History Survey Send Questions and Comments to:cbdadmin@inhs.uiuc.edu. Last updated Friday, 30-Apr-2004 15:55:03 CDT