Slender glass lizard
Slender glass lizard | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Reptilia |
Order: | Squamata |
Family: | Anguidae |
Genus: | Ophisaurus |
Species: | O. attenuatus
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Binomial name | |
Ophisaurus attenuatus | |
Synonyms[2][3] | |
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The slender glass lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus) is a legless lizard in the glass lizard subfamily (Anguinae).[4] The species is endemic to the United States. Two subspecies are recognized. The lizard was originally believed to be a subspecies of the eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis). Their name comes from their easily broken tail which they can break off themselves without ever being touched. It is difficult to find a specimen with an undamaged tail. The lizard eats a variety of insects and small animals, including smaller lizards. Snakes and other animals are known to prey on the species. Humans have a part in destroying their environment and killing their food supply with insecticides. The lizard is considered to be a least-concern species according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), though it is vulnerable in Iowa and endangered in Wisconsin. It is important to note that the streamlined, legless species is often confused with snakes. Glass Lizards, however, differ from snakes as they possess a moveable eyelid, which is absent in snakes. Another way to distinguish glass lizards from snakes is the presence of an external ear opening, which are absent in snakes.
Taxonomy
The species was originally believed by American herpetologist
Subspecies
The western slender glass lizard reaches an average of 0.66 m (26 in). It can be found in woods or dry rocky hillsides, in grass or the burrows of small mammals. The species can easily camouflage itself in tall grass because of its color.[9]
The males are larger than females with a longer head and tail. Males have more scales above their lateral fold and along the center of their back than females. Larger males have waxy white crossbars on their dorsum's anterior, which have an outline of black and are not present in smaller males and females.[10]
Description
Slender glass lizards have yellow to brown bodies with six stripes and they have a middorsal stripe. White specks on the middle of the lizard's scales may sometimes form light stripes.[5] O. attenuatus can attain a total length of 0.56 m (22 in) to 0.91 m (36 in). The species is closely related to collared lizards.[11] Its tail comprises two-thirds of its body length.[11] Its scales are supported by an osteoderm which makes the body hard and stiff. The species has a pointed snout and a non-distinct head. Males and females are of similar size. Its markings may fade as an individual ages.[12]
Unlike snakes, they have eyelids and ears.[5] Slender glass lizards have some difficulty moving across smooth surfaces because they do not have the large belly-plates and related muscles of snakes.[13] The body of a snake is more flexible than that of this species and have different shaped scales.[14]
Behavior
Slender glass lizards are primarily
When a predator breaks off part of its tail, the tail never completely grows back which causes its tail to become shorter each time that it is attacked. They are known as slender glass lizards because their tail can be broken easily. The species can snap off their tail without it being touched and the partial tail that regenerates is tan, but it does not have the pattern of the original tail.[10] The pieces of tail will continue to move once broken off. Two common beliefs are that the pieces of broken tail can grow into new lizards or rejoin into a new tail. [12] In a 1989 study, 79% of the specimens in the population area had broken tails.[10] It is hard to find a slender glass lizard that has its entire tail. They seldom bite when they are threatened.[10] When they are approached, the lizard will sometimes stay still and try to blend in with the vegetation. [18]
Distribution
O. attenuatus is found in the midwestern and southeast United States, where it is endemic, in prairies, old fields, or open woodlands, often near water.[5][11] They can also sometimes be found in longleaf pine forests and human-made debris.[21][10][1]
Diet and predators
Slender glass lizards eat a range of
Reproduction
Mating typically occurs biannually in May and they lay 5 to 15 oval eggs in late June or July.[5] Eggs hatch 50–60 days after being laid and the mother then stays beside them throughout the incubation period.[10] The eggs are laid under objects that can cover them including a log or a board.[12] The eggs hatch after 53 days during August to October.[10] Hatchlings are 10–13 cm (3.9–5.1 in) long and are difficult to find.[5] Sexual maturity is attained at three or four years of age.[10]
Conservation status
Although not
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recommended steps to conserve the slender glass lizard which are to avoid burning grassland from April to October, to remove trees mechanically instead of using chemicals, and to limit insecticide use in areas where slender glass lizards are known to inhabit.[24]
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Baird SF (1880). In: Cope ED (1880). "On the Zoölogical Position of Texas". Bulletin of the United States National Museum (17): 1–51. (Ophisaurus ventralis attenuatus, new subspecies, p. 18).
- ^ Boulenger GA (1885). Catalogue of the Lizards in the British Museum (Natural History). Second Edition. Volume II. ... Anguidæ ... London: Trustees of the British Museum (Natural History). (Taylor and Francis, printers). xiii + 497 pp. + Plates I-XXIV. (Ophisaurus attenuatus, p. 282).
- S2CID 58560490.)
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ^ a b c d e f g "Ophisaurus attenuatus Cope, 1880 – Slender Glass Lizard". Illinois Natural History Survey. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- JSTOR 3889689.
- JSTOR 2422217.
- ^ "Ophisaurus attenuatus Baird, 1880". The Reptile Database. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ^ "Western Slender Glass Lizard". Missouri Department of Conservation. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-61117-947-7.
- ^ a b c d "Slender glass lizard – Ophisaurus attenuatus". Kansas State University. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)". University of Georgia. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c Christiansen, J. L.; Bailey, R. M. (December 1998). The Lizards and Turtles of Iowa. Iowa Department Of Natural Resources. p. 6.
- ISBN 978-0-292-77197-0.
- ^ Bostian, Kelly (December 2, 2018). "The World Around You: A slender glass lizard makes a late-season appearance". Tulsa World. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- JSTOR 3669342.
- ^ a b Wisconsin Statewide Karner Blue Butterfly Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and Environmental Impact Statement. 1999. p. 2.
- ^ a b "Animal of the Week: slender glass lizard". Winterset Madisonian. January 8, 2006. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
- ^ "Slender Glass Lizard (Ophisaurus attenuatus)". Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ISBN 978-0-472-05338-4.
- ^ Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles Ophisaurus attenuatus Holman, J. Alan. 1971.
- ISBN 978-1-4262-1476-9.
- ^ "Ophisaurus attenuatus". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved August 8, 2019.
- ^ a b "Slender glass lizard" (PDF). Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved August 2, 2019.
External links
- Media related to Ophisaurus attenuatus at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Ophisaurus attenuatus at Wikispecies