If you like lizards the way, we do it can be fun to track them down and observe them in their natural habitat. However, finding an unknown reptile in your garden or home can be terrifying, so it can be a good idea to get familiar with the animals in your area. If you live in Virginia, keep reading while we look at the different species of lizard that exist there to help you be better informed.
The 9 Lizards Found in Virginia
1. Green Anole
| Species: | Anolis carolinensis |
| Longevity: | 4 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | Yes |
| Adult size: | 5 – 9 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Green Anole is a tree-dwelling species that you can find in Virginia. It varies in color from green to brown, and it has a long-pointed head with ridges between the eyes. The males are extremely territorial and will attack their reflection, but they make great pets and are easy to raise.
2. Eastern Six-lined Racerunner
| Species: | Aspidoscelis sexlineata sexlineata |
| Longevity: | 6 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | No |
| Legal to own?: | Yes |
| Adult size: | 6 – 10 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Eastern Six-Lined Racerunner is a fast-moving reptile that can reach speeds of 18 miles per hour (MPH) when escaping a predator. It has a wide range that includes Virginia, and it prefers low-lying dry soil.
3. Mediterranean Gecko
| Species: | Hemidactylus turcicus |
| Longevity: | 3 – 9 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | Yes |
| Adult size: | 4 – 5 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Mediterranean Gecko is an invasive species that is native to Spain, France, and surrounding areas. It was introduced to several areas, including Virginia, where it was able to gain a foothold. They still sell these lizards as pets, and they are easy to maintain.
4. Eastern Slender Glass Lizard
| Species: | Ophisaurus attenuatus longicaudus |
| Longevity: | 4 – 10 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | Yes |
| Adult size: | 22 – 36 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Eastern Slender Glass lizard is a long and thin species with a tail that is extremely easy to break off, giving it its name. They can grow to reach 36 inches making them one of the longest reptiles in the United States. It’s active during the day and prefers to blend with the vegetation while it hunts.
5. Northern Coal Skink
| Species: | Plestiodon anthracinus |
| Longevity: | 5 – 8 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | No |
| Adult size: | 5 – 7 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Northern Coal Skink lives in very small areas throughout the northeastern United States, and you can find it in Virginia. It has a blue tail when it’s firstborn but then has a dark-colored body when it matures.
- Related Read: 7 Types of Skinks That Make Great Pets
6. Common Five-Lined Skink
| Species: | Plestiodon fasciatus |
| Longevity: | 6 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | No |
| Adult size: | 5 – 7 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Common Five-Lined Skink is also called a Red-Headed Skink due to the red coloring on its head when it’s an adult. As you may have guessed, it has five lines running the length of its body. It’s a ground-dwelling reptile that prefers a moist wooded habitat.
7. Broad-Headed Skink
| Species: | Plestiodon laticeps |
| Longevity: | 6 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | No |
| Adult size: | 6 – 13 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Broad Headed Skink is one of the larger lizard species that you can find in Virginia, and it can reach 13 inches. It gets its name from its wide jaw that gives its head a triangle shape. You can find them on the ground, but they will also frequent trees for shelter, and they are exceptional climbers.
8. Eastern Fence Lizard
| Species: | Sceloporus undulatus |
| Longevity: | 5 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | No |
| Adult size: | 4 – 8 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Eastern Fence Lizard is a medium-sized reptile that gets its name from its desire to sit on the fence posts to bask in the sunlight. It’s usually grey or brown with wavy lines across its back. When not on fenceposts, they prefer wooded areas with plenty of sunlight.
9. Little Brown Skink
| Species: | Scincella lateralis |
| Longevity: | 20 years |
| Good to own as a pet?: | Yes |
| Legal to own?: | No |
| Adult size: | 3 – 6 inches |
| Diet: | Carnivorous |
The Little Brown Skink is one of the smallest species of reptiles that you can find in Virginia. You can also find it throughout much of the eastern United States. It seldom climbs trees and prefers to spend most of its time buried under loose leaves and other debris that it can hide beneath.
The 4 Types of Lizards in Virginia
1. Poison Lizards
Fortunately, there are no poison lizards in Virginia that can harm you, so you can search for them without worry, and you needn’t be concerned if you see one in your garden.
2. Small Lizards
The smallest lizard in Virginia is the Little Brown Skink.
3. Big Lizards
The Largest reptile in Virginia is the eastern Slender Glass Lizard that can reach up to 36-inches long. The Broad-Headed Skink is also quite large with a wide head.
4. Invasive Lizards
The Mediterranean Gecko is an invasive species that you can find in Virginia. It’s native to the area around France and Spain, but you can now find it in many other parts of the world.
Conclusion
There are nine different species of lizard that you can find in Virginia, and they are all quite interesting. Several of them, like the Greene Anole and the Mediterranean Gecko, make great pets, but we recommend purchasing only captive-bred animals instead of removing them from their natural habitat.
We hope you have enjoyed reading over this list and found a few lizards you didn’t know you could find here. If you have learned something new, please share this guide to the nine lizards found in Virginia on Facebook and Twitter.
Related Read:
- 20 Best Pet Lizards for Beginners (With Pictures)
- 10 Lizard Species Found in Florida (With Pictures)
- 11 Lizard Species Found in Colorado (With Pictures)
Featured Image Credit: Will Brown, Wikimedia Commons CC 2.0 Generic (Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus))
