Eastern Slender Glass Lizard

Ophisaurus attenuatus

no photo — written note
photo: Wikimedia Commons
AnimalsSensitive species

A legless lizard often mistaken for a snake, told apart by eyelids, ear openings and a stiff, brittle tail.

Field facts
HabitatSand prairie, dry grassland
RangeNorthwestern and southwestern Indiana
When to lookApril to September
StatusState endangered (Indiana DNR / IUCN Red List)
Look-alikesSnakes — no eyelids or ear openings

Field note: More than half its length can be tail, which breaks into pieces when seized.

Lesson
Watching responsibly

Never grab it; the tail shatters and never fully regrows. Report sightings to DNR.

This species is treated as sensitive: locations are generalised to county level and never routed to directly.

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