Florida is known for many lizard species because of the climate and swampy conditions in some areas. There are many that are endemic to the region, and some are invasive, which means they naturally like to live, just like bears in the woods. Here is the list of 10 types of lizards in Florida:
Lizards in Florida
1. Florida Scrub Lizard
The Florida Scrub Lizard, scientifically known as Sceloporus woodi, is a lizard species native to Florida, the United States. The body length of lizard species is up to 13 cm, and the population is seen on the Atlantic Coast scrubs, the Gulf Coast scrubs, the inland central peninsula, and the Ocala National Forest and environs. Talking about the appearance, it is grey or brownish with a longitudinal brown stripe down each side of the body. The male species can be identified with the help of turquoise patches on the throat and belly; however, females lack the throat patches but may have lighter patches on the abdomen. The average lifespan of a Florida scrub lizard is up to 27 months.
Image Source: Wikimedia
2. Green Anole
Green anole is also listed among the lizards in Hawaii that have the ability to change colour. They are naturally green, but they can also turn yellow, brown, grey, or a colour in-between. The body length of species is up to 13–20 cm (5-8 in) long, and males are much brighter than females. The primary diet includes spiders and other insects, including grubs, moths, crickets, and cockroaches. The natural predators and threats include cats, snakes, and occasionally people who are not careful with them. The average lifespan of a green nose is between 2 and 3 years.
3. Florida Reef Gecko
Reef Gecko, scientifically known as Sphaerodactylus notatus, is a small species of gecko native to Florida and the Caribbean. Talking about appearance, they can grow up to two inches long and primarily feed on insects and spiders. They are found in Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas, and have been introduced to some offshore islands in Jamaica. These geckos are brown in colour with black stripes that extend from the head and fade out at the neck. The average lifespan of reef gecko is up to 1.3 years in the wild.
Image Source: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
4. Eastern Fence Lizard
The Eastern Fence Lizard is one of the lizards in Florida that belongs to the family Phrynosomatidae. It is also called by different names, such as the prairie lizard, fence swift, grey lizard, gravid lizard, northern fence lizard, or pine lizard, and prefers to thrive in regions equipped with forest edges, rock piles, and rotting logs or stumps in the eastern United States. The body length is up to 10 to 19 cm, and the average weight is up to 15 grams. The average lifespan of the eastern fence lizard is up to 4 to 5 years in the wild.
Image Source: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
5. Six-lined racerunner
The six-lined racerunner, scientifically known as Aspidoscelis sexlineatus, is native to the United States and Mexico. The body length is up to 15–26 cm and can run at a speed of 29 km/h. Talking about the appearance, it is dark green, brown, or black in colour, with six yellow or green-yellow stripes that can be seen throughout the body from head to tail. The underside is generally white in females and pale blue in males.
These lizard species were found throughout the southeastern and south-central portions of the United States, from Maryland to Florida in the east, across the Great Plains to southern Texas and northern Mexico. The primary diet includes spiders, grasshoppers, and large insects. The average lifespan of a six-lined racerunner is up to 6 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikimedia
6. Florida Sand Skink
The Florida sand skink, scientifically known as Plestiodon reynoldsi, belongs to the family Scincidae. It is endemic to Florida in the United States. The body length is up to 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) in total length and comes in a tan color. The tail is quite large, and it’s about half of the animal’s total length. They are predominantly found in, and approximately 115 known sites were recorded in 1999. The primary diet includes termites, spiders, and the larvae of antlions and beetles.
Image Source: Wikimedia
7. Green Iguana
The green iguana is one of the most common lizards in Florida and belongs to the family Iguanidae. The body length is up to 1.5 to 2 metres, and the average weight is up to 9 kilograms. It is also known as the American iguana or the common green iguana, and it is native to southern Brazil and Paraguay as far north as Mexico. The dietary habit is herbivorous and feeds on leaves, mustard greens, dandelion greens, flowers, fruit, and growing shoots of upwards of 100 different species of plants.
Image Source: Wikimedia
8. Broadhead skink
The broad-headed skink, scientifically known as Plestiodon laticeps, is a species of lizard endemic to the southeastern United States. The name of the lizard species comes from the wide jaws, giving the head a triangular appearance. The adult male species can be identified by their brown or olive-brown colour and bright orange heads during the mating season in spring; however, females have around five light stripes running down the back and the tail. The average lifespan of broached skinks is between 4 and 8 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikimedia
9. Cuban Brown Anole
Cuban Brown Anole, also known as Brown Anole, is a lizard species native to Cuba and the Bahamas. The body length is up to 7.6 to 20 cm, and the average weight is up to 3 to 8 grams. Talking about their appearance, they are a light brown colour with darker brown to black markings on their backs and several tan to light colour lines on their sides. The female species can be distinguished from the males with the help of a light brown stripe that runs over their backs. The average lifespan of cuban brown anole is between 5 and 8 years in the wild.
Image Source: Wikimedia
10. Nile Monitor
The Nile monitor is also among the lizards in Florida found throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile and belongs to the Varanidae family. The body length is up to 120 to 220 cm, and the average weight is up to 0.8 to 20 kilograms. The average lifespan of a nile monitor is between 10 and 20 years in the wild. This is also the second-largest reptile in the Nile River, found along the Nile, and prefers to thrive in woodlands, savannas, scrub, mangroves, marshes, and swamps, as well as visit agricultural areas.
Image Source: Wikimedia
This is a list of 10 types of lizards in Florida. Kindly share and post your comments.
