@nick_h
Sarasota, FL
Ophisaurus ventralis
Eastern Glass Lizard
The subject is a legless lizard, identified by its serpentine body, smooth scales, and a visible lateral groove characteristic of the family Anguidae. The species is determined to be the Eastern Glass Lizard based on the prominent, irregular, light-colored vertical bars on the sides of the neck and the absence of a single, broad, dark middorsal stripe. These features, combined with the location in Sarasota, Florida, distinguish it from other similar glass lizard species.
Overview
The eastern glass lizard is a species of legless lizard in the family Anguidae and the longest and heaviest species of glass lizards in the genus Ophisaurus, endemic to the Southeastern United States. The streamlined, legless species is often confused with snakes. Glass lizards differ from snakes as they possess a moveable eyelid and an external ear opening as well as a lateral groove that separates the different types of scales on the animal, while all three of these features are absent in snakes. Snakes also have flexible jaws while lizards do not. Ventralis comes from the Latin "venter" meaning belly; this is in reference to the snake-like movement.
Read sourceObservation
Location
Sarasota, FL
Observed
September, 8:57 PM
Weather
Mostly Cloudy, 82F
Shared
September 12, 2026
Also known as
Taxonomy
Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Squamata
Order
Squamata
Family
Anguidae
Genus
Ophisaurus