Glass Lizard

Eastern glass lizard.
Ophisaurus ventralis.
July 17th, 2005.
Payne's Prairie; south of Gainesville, Florida.
Nikon CPix 5700.
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The Eastern glass lizard, often confused as being a snake, is a sweet little, robust lizard. We found this guy slinking near the edge of a small wetland stretch of canal water. You can see how this animal actually has eyelids. Snakes don't have retractable eyelids, whereas lizards do.

Payne's Prairie, just south of Gainesville and north of Cross Creek, is a massive stretch of wet prairie. Seasonally alternating between flooded and pseudo-dry, Payne's Prairie is a veritable smorgisborg of Floridian wildlife and ecology. Truly a splendid region.

~ janson