The Western Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuates)
Western slender glass lizards call these woods home, too! Although they may resemble small snakes, they are in fact lizards. If you manage to get close enough, you can tell them apart from their serpentine counterparts by the presence of eyelids, external ear openings, and their unique striping pattern. Glass lizards have one black stripe that runs down their back, three black stripes above the lateral fold, and two more slightly disrupted black stripes below the lateral folds.
These reptiles happen to be the only species of lizards that lack limbs in Oklahoma and they have been spotted right here, along with many other wooded areas across the state. The average size of a Western slender glass lizard is about 10 inches, but its special ability to detach its tail in a sticky situation can reduce its size. Don’t worry, it grows back! A glass lizard’s tail is over half its body length and when it is shed, the tail itself shakes violently, distracting its predator while it flees to safety!
These legless lizards have no issue getting a good meal, either. They prefer invertebrates mostly, such as grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, caterpillars, snails, and spiders. Due to their color pattern and fast reflexes, it can be difficult to spot them in the wild. If you’re lucky, you may see one of these gorgeous specimens catching some sun on a rock or fallen tree branch!
written by Phoenix Brown, OU Environmental Studies student
April 2023
Learn more about the Western Slender Glass Lizard here:
Oklahoma Deparment of Wildlife Conservation
Missouri Department of Conservation
