ID Please (Pic Included)

[woijchik89]

Can anyone tell me what kind of snake this is? I found it in my aunts backyard in central florida.

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BTW: I'm not sure its a snake, it looks alot like a legless lizard, anyone have any theorys?

 

[pitbulllady]

That's an Eastern Legless Lizard, sometimes called a "Glass snake", though it is of course not a snake at all. The dead give-away are its ear openings at the back of the head, and you will probably also notice that it can blink its eyes, something no snake can do. Cute little fella, isn't it? The ones I have caught here in SC have a more greenish belly, but I'm sure that there are regional subspecies with varying degrees of yellow on them.

pitbulllady

 

[woijchik89]

That's an Eastern Legless Lizard, sometimes called a "Glass snake", though it is of course not a snake at all. The dead give-away are its ear openings at the back of the head, and you will probably also notice that it can blink its eyes, something no snake can do. Cute little fella, isn't it? The ones I have caught here in SC have a more greenish belly, but I'm sure that there are regional subspecies with varying degrees of yellow on them.

pitbulllady

cool, its not toxic or poisonis is it? What do they eat? and do they make good pets or are they better left in the wild?

 

[brandi]

Nice catch, and yes, it is a legless lizard.

I prety much always say animals are better off left where you found them, but if you do decide to keep it, they are fairly easy captives. First I would have a good herp vet give it a once over, because it *will* have parasites, even my captives constantly have high counts of pinworms. Then use common sense to modify a typical reptile setup: good size tank (no wire, they will rub their snouts raw), clean substrate (coconut bark mixed with moss should work for you), waterdish, cool hide, warm hide and basking area, and you'll probably want to invest in a good UV light for him.

Diet is mainly various invertebrates - crickets with a good vitamin/calcium dust, superworms, roaches, moths, locust, and the occasional f/t pinky or fuzzy mouse.

Again, nice specimen -Good luck with it!
B~

 

[pitbulllady]

No, it's not venomous; the only truelly venomous lizards in the entire world(that anyone knows of, anyway)are the Gila Monster and the Beaded Lizard, of the American Southwestern deserts and the Mexican deserts, respectively. They can give a bit of a pinch, like a skink, but that's about it. Be careful with the tail, since it is designed to easily break off, and it actually occupies most of the animal's length. See Brandi's post for general care, which is pretty much standard insectivorous lizard care. I've caught lots of these guys in the past, and they are rather nervous critters(again, like our N. American skinks)and don't really become what I'd consider "tame", but they can make interesting captives, and are always good to show to people to compare them with snakes.

pitbulllady

 

[Lochala]

Wow, it's nice looking. The only lizards I've ever seen here are the anoles and alligator lizards. What is their range?

 

[woijchik89]

No, it's not venomous; the only truelly venomous lizards in the entire world(that anyone knows of, anyway)are the Gila Monster and the Beaded Lizard,
pitbulllady

I was thinking not really venemous but more like will get you sick if bitten like...bacteria or...hard to explain...

Anywho, I think I'll release it back into the wild, its a cool looking snake but I'm looking forward to getting a different pet(Iguana) And I'm not looking forward to caring for more then one reptile. Plus i don't want to take it to the vet and spend money. I think it'll be better off in the wild anyway.

Also I've seen lizard that look almost the same as the one I've recently caught. Same design, same build, only It has legs... Any relations?

 

[atavuss]

I was thinking not really venemous but more like will get you sick if bitten like...bacteria or...hard to explain...

Anywho, I think I'll release it back into the wild, its a cool looking snake but I'm looking forward to getting a different pet(Iguana) And I'm not looking forward to caring for more then one reptile. Plus i don't want to take it to the vet and spend money. I think it'll be better off in the wild anyway.

Also I've seen lizard that look almost the same as the one I've recently caught. Same design, same build, only It has legs... Any relations?

have you researched the needs of iguanas? they get BIG, up to 4 or 5'. they will require a large enclosure, adult males are capable of inflicting severe bites. there are better choices for a pet lizard (bearded dragon, leopard, fat tail, crested geckos to name a few).

 

[pitbulllady]

Naw, the worst you'd likely get if it bit you would be a pretty hard pinch. You must be thinking of a Komodo Dragon, which is a monitor, with the bacteria thing. I've never even seen a legless lizard break the skin, and I've been bitten by a few! The lizard you saw of similar shape, but with legs, is almost certainly one of the skinks. There are several species native to the Southeastern US. The Broadheaded skink can get quite large, nearly a foot.
Speaking of lizards, though, I DO NOT recommend an iguana as a pet for anyone who is not VERY experienced at keeping reptiles, especially lizards! They require highly-specialized care and housing, and get very large and heavy, and males can and usually WILL become aggressive-violently so-during the breeding season. Bites from an adult iguana will often require stitches and/or reconstructive sugury. Those cute little baby iggies, if properly cared for, do not stay cute little baby iggies for very long-an adult male can be nearly 7 feet in length and weigh 35 pounds! Needless to say, a 55-gallon aquarium isn't gonna be suitable for something that size!

pitbulllady

 

[ta2edpop]

Eastern glass lizard. They get about 42 1/2'' long. They are diurnal. Their tails shatters readily. Nice lizard. They are a type of skink. Ophisarus ventralis.