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Ophisaurus ventralis

(Linnaeus, 1766)

Eastern Glass Lizard

G5Secure Found in 8 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Least concernIUCN
MediumThreat Impact
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.100802
Element CodeARACB02030
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVertebrate Animal
IUCNLeast concern
Endemicendemic to a single nation
KingdomAnimalia
PhylumCraniata
ClassReptilia
OrderSquamata
FamilyAnguidae
GenusOphisaurus
Other Common Names
eastern glass lizard (EN)
Concept Reference
McConkey, E. H. 1954. A systematic study of the North American lizards of the genus Ophisaurus. American Midland Naturalist 51:133-169.
Taxonomic Comments
Prior to 1954 (McConkey 1954), all glass lizards (including species now known as Ophisaurus attentuatus, O. compressus, and O. mimicus) were referred to as Ophisaurus ventralis.

Molecular data support recognition of the family Anniellidae and anguid subfamilies Gerrhonotinae and Anguinae as monophyletic groups (Macey et al. 1999). Within the Anguinae, Ophisaurus apparently is not monophyletic; among various taxonomic alternatives available to remedy the situation, Macey et al. (1999) favored placing all members of the subfamily in a single genus (Anguis).
Conservation Status
Review Date2005-05-13
Change Date1996-10-23
Edition Date2005-05-11
Threat ImpactMedium
Range Extent200,000-2,500,000 square km (about 80,000-1,000,000 square miles)
Number of Occurrences81 to >300
Range Extent Comments
The range includes the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United states from southeastern Virginia to southern Florida, and west to eastern Louisiana (Conant and Collins 1991). The species was once reported from Grand Cayman Island, Cayman Islands, where it is introduced and possibly established (Schwartz and Henderson 1991).
Occurrences Comments
This species is represented by many populations. Palmer and Braswell (1995) mapped well over 100 localities in North Carolina alone.
Threat Impact Comments
The major threat is presumably intensive land development. The species is somewhat tolerant of moderate habitat disturbance.
Ecology & Habitat

Habitat

Habitats include moist and dry areas (especially the former), including damp grassy areas, maritime forests, open and scrubby woods (mesic hammock, pine flatwoods), vacant lots in coastal towns (Schwartz and Henderson 1991, Palmer and Braswell 1995, Bartlett and Bartlett 1999). This lizard can be found under debris in fields and vacant lots near ponds, marshes, and estuaries. It favors areas with sandy friable soils and abundant shelter on ground. It is regarded as semifossorial. Eggs are laid under or at base of grass clumps (Ashton and Ashton 1985) or under debris on ground (Mount 1975).

Reproduction

Lays clutch of 6-17 eggs in spring or summer. Eggs hatch in 2 months. Females stay with eggs during development, as long as the nest cover is not disturbed. In Virginia, hatching has been observed in mid- to late August (Schwab, 1992, Herpetol. Rev. 23:60).
Terrestrial Habitats
Woodland - HardwoodWoodland - ConiferWoodland - MixedShrubland/chaparralGrassland/herbaceous
Palustrine Habitats
Riparian
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
MississippiS5Yes
LouisianaS2Yes
South CarolinaS5Yes
FloridaS4Yes
AlabamaS5Yes
VirginiaS1Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
Threat Assessments
ThreatScopeSeverityTiming
1 - Residential & commercial development——High (continuing)
1.1 - Housing & urban areas——High (continuing)
2 - Agriculture & aquaculture——High (continuing)

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Roadless Areas (8)
Florida (4)
AreaForestAcres
Clear LakeApalachicola National Forest5,592
Farles PrairieOcala National Forest1,901
Gum BayApalachicola National Forest11,645
Long BayApalachicola National Forest5,726
North Carolina (3)
AreaForestAcres
Catfish Lake NorthCroatan National Forest11,299
Pond Pine BCroatan National Forest2,961
Sheep Ridge AdditionCroatan National Forest5,808
South Carolina (1)
AreaForestAcres
Wambaw ExtFrancis Marion National Forest527
References (16)
  1. Ashton, R. E., Jr., and P. S. Ashton. 1985. Handbook of reptiles and amphibians of Florida. Part two. Lizards, turtles & crocodilians. Windward Pub., Inc., Miami. 191 pp.
  2. Bartlett, R. D., and P. P. Bartlett. 1999b. A field guide to Florida reptiles and amphibians. Gulf Publishing Company, Houston, Texas. xvi + 278 pp.
  3. Behler, J. L., and F. W. King. 1979. The Audubon Society field guide to North American reptiles and amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf, New York. 719 pp.
  4. Collins, J. T. 1990. Standard common and current scientific names for North American amphibians and reptiles. 3rd ed. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. Herpetological Circular No. 19. 41 pp.
  5. Conant, R., and J. T. Collins. 1998. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians: eastern and central North America. Third edition, expanded. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts. 616 pp.
  6. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2008. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. Sixth edition. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetological Circular 37:1-84. Online with updates at: http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/comm_names/Index.php
  7. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2012. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 7th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 39:1-92.
  8. Crother, B. I. (editor). 2017. Scientific and standard English names of amphibians and reptiles of North America north of Mexico, with comments regarding confidence in our understanding. 8th edition. SSAR Herpetological Circular 43:1-104. [Updates in SSAR North American Species Names Database at: https://ssarherps.org/cndb]
  9. Holman, J. A. 1971. Ophisaurus ventralis. Cat. Am. Amph. Rep. 115.1-115.2.
  10. Macey, J. R., J. A. Schulte, II, A. Larson, B. S. Tuniyev, N. Orlov, and T. J. Papenfuss. 1999. Molecular phylogenetics, tRNA evolution, and historical biogeography in anguid lizards and related taxonomic families. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 12:250-272.
  11. Martof, B. S., W. M. Palmer, J. R. Bailey, and J. R. Harrison, III. 1980. Amphibians and reptiles of the Carolinas and Virginia. University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 264 pp.
  12. McConkey, E. H. 1954. A systematic study of the North American lizards of the genus <i>Ophisaurus. </i>American Midland Naturalist 51:133-169.
  13. Mitchell, J. C. 1991. Amphibians and reptiles. Pages 411-76 in K. Terwilliger (coordinator). Virginia's Endangered Species: Proceedings of a Symposium. McDonald and Woodward Publishing Company, Blacksburg, Virginia.
  14. Mount, R. H. 1975. The reptiles and amphibians of Alabama. Auburn University Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, Alabama. vii + 347 pp.
  15. Palmer, W. M., and A. L. Braswell. 1995. Reptiles of North Carolina. North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences, University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
  16. Schwartz, A., and R. W. Henderson. 1991. Amphibians and Reptiles of the West Indies: Descriptions, Distributions, and Natural History. University of Florida Press, Gainesville, Florida. xvi + 720 pp.