Common Lizards in Illinois

With its wide variety of terrains, including forests, rocky areas, and open prairies, Illinois provides the perfect environment for many different kinds of lizards, such as the slender glass lizard, the collared lizard, the eastern fence lizard, the six-lined racerunner and several different kinds of skinks. All of these species are medium to small lizards, and almost all are native to the area, the exception being the collared lizard, which was introduced.

  1. Slender Glass Lizard

    • The slender glass lizard has been spotted in many counties all over Illinois. Because it totally lacks legs, those who view it often confuse it for a snake; however, because it has eyelids and ear openings, it is not officially classified as such. Although slender glass lizards are very rare, they are most often seen in fields and prairies.

    Collared Lizard

    • The collared lizard resembles more closely the traditional image of a lizard -- it is green to yellow with a much lighter-colored stomach, and is often covered by small spots. It prefers rocky or well-forested areas. A nonnative species, researchers believe it to have been introduced in Johnson County, the only county where it is observed.

    Eastern Fence Lizard

    • This unique lizard lives mainly in the southern part of Illinois and is very easily recognizable by the distinctive blue green patches on its stomach and throat. It can be seen in craggy wooded areas, where it lays its eggs -- typically in the ground or in the hollow of a rotted log.

    Six-lined Racerunner

    • The six-lined racerunner is so called for the six stripes that run along the outer body of the lizard and down their extensive tails. These lizards can run extremely fast, and make their homes in the open prairies, mostly in the western parts of Illinois, and especially in the Shawnee Hills.

    Skinks

    • Illinois is also home to several different types of skinks, a large family of lizards found all over the world. Skinks common to Illinois include the common five-lined skink, the broad-headed skink, and the ground skink. The common five-lined skink lives mostly in the southern part of Illinois in wooded areas and swamps. The broad-headed skink looks similar to the common five-lined skink, and also makes its home in wooded areas. In fact, these lizards can climb very high up a tree when threatened by predators. The ground skink, on the other hand, has a very unique appearance; it is a copper-colored lizard with a pale white belly, and is commonly spotted in the woods of southern Illinois.