Kenneth L. Krysko photo.
Eastern Glass Lizard, Ophisaurus ventralis
Although it resembles a snake, the eastern glass lizard is a legless lizard. Unlike snakes, it has eyelids and ear openings on the side of the head. They reach lengths of 18 to 40 inches (46 - 101 cm) with the posterior two-thirds of its length being tail. If attacked, the tail breaks off and continues to wiggle, distracting the predator while the rest of the lizard escapes. The ease with which the tail breaks is the basis of its common name. The tail is regenerated in a few weeks. In Fort Matanzas National Monument, it can be found during the day foraging for insects and other small invertebrates in the grass of the dunes meadows and saltmarshes.
