Island glass lizard explained

The island glass lizard (Ophisaurus compressus) is a species of lizard in the family Anguidae. The species is endemic to the southeastern United States.

Geographic range

O. compressus is found in Florida, southeastern Georgia, and southeastern South Carolina.^[1] Island glass lizards can be found in coastal sandy scrub areas, as well as adjacent pine flatwood habitats.

Appearance and identification

O. compressus can reach adult lengths of 15-24 inches.^[2] They can be distinguished from other Ophisaurus by a single dark stripe along both sides of the body, just above the lateral groove, and a single dark middorsal stripe which may sometimes appear more broken than solid. They also have many light vertical bars along the side of the neck that are more prominent and numerous than those on the Eastern Glass Lizard (O. ventralis).

Anatomy

O. compressus differs from other members of Ophisaurus in that they do not have fracture planes in the caudal vertebrae, which allow most Ophisaurus and many other lizards to easily shed their tails to evade predation.^{[3] [4]}

Reproduction

O. compressus is oviparous.^[1]

Further reading

• Behler JL, King FW (1979). The Audubon Society Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 743 pp. . (Ophisaurus compressus, p. 544 + Plate 454).
• Cope ED (1900). "II. The Crocodilians, Lizards, and Snakes of North America". pp. 153–1270 + Plates 1–36. In: Anonymous (1900). Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, Showing the Operations, Expenditures, and Condition of the Institution for the Year Ending June 30, 1898. Washington, District of Columbia: Government Printing Office. 1,294 pp. (Ophisaurus ventralis compressus, new subspecies, pp. 501-502, Figure 90).
• Smith HM, Brodie ED Jr (1982). Reptiles of North America: A Guide to Field Identification. New York: Golden Press. 240 pp. . (Ophisaurus compressus, pp. 90–91).

Notes and References

1. "Ophisaurus compressus ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
2. Book: Conant, Roger . Reptiles and Amphibians - Eastern/Central North America . Collins . Joseph. T. . Peterson Field Guides . 3rd . 278-279.
3. Holman . J. Alan . 1971 . Ophisaurus compressus . Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles.
4. Barr . James I. . Boisvert . Catherine A. . Trinajstic . Kate . Bateman . Philip W. . 2022-04-29 . Ontogeny and caudal autotomy fracture planes in a large scincid lizard, Egernia kingii . Scientific Reports . en . 12 . 1 . 7051 . 10.1038/s41598-022-10962-x . 2045-2322. 9054770 .