Lizards That Look Like Snakes

If it looks like a snake and moves like a snake, it should be a snake. This sometimes is not the case because some species of lizard can closely resemble snakes. These legless lizards can often only be recognized as lizards by the presence of eyelids and ear holes on the side of the head, which snakes do not have.

  1. Slender Glass Lizard

    • The slender glass lizard is a larger, legless species. It grows to around 3 feet in length and has a slim body. It is yellow to brown in color with six longitudinal darker stripes running the length of its body. It most commonly lives in open grasslands or prairies as well as more arid desert habitats. It is known as a glass lizard because of a defense mechanism whereby it can detach the tip of its tail if grabbed by a predator.

    California Legless Lizard

    • The California legless lizard, as the name suggests, has no legs. It grows to between 4 and 7 inches in length and has a very slender body type. It is dark brown to black in color with a paler, sometimes yellowish belly. Its head is shovel-shaped giving it the look of a snake, but close inspection confirms it is not with obvious eyelids and ear holes. It does not bask as much as some reptiles as it has a high tolerance to cold conditions.

    Island Glass Lizard

    • The island glass lizard looks much like a snake and even curls up like one. It grows to between 14 and 24 inches in length and has a slender body. It is yellow to brown in color with longitudinal dark lines along the length of its body. Its diet includes small insects and spiders as, unlike snakes, it cannot unhinge its jaw to swallow larger prey. This is the case with all legless lizards and is another indicator that they are not snakes.

    Mimic Glass Lizard

    • The mimic glass lizard is a long, slender species. It grows to between 15 and 26 inches in length. The lizard's coloration ranges from yellow to light brown with dark stripes along its sides and spine. It lives in open grassland habitats foraging for food during the day. Like all glass lizards, it can break off a section of tail if grabbed by a predator, which will eventually grow back.

    Eastern Glass Lizard

    • The eastern glass lizard is a long, slender species. It grows to between 18 and 43 inches in length. It ranges from light brown to greenish-yellow in color and sometimes has a darker stripe on its sides. The lizard also has small, vertical white stripes on its neck just behind the head. As a larger species of legless lizard, they are capable of feeding on larger prey such as small rodents and reptiles.