Mimic Glass Lizard
Ophisaurus mimicus
Status: Vulnerable
Mimic glass lizards are the smallest glass lizards in the region. They are about 15-26 inches long and legless. These glass lizards look similar to snakes since they do not have legs. They are usually brown or tan and some can have white or black spots on the upper part of their body. Oftentimes, these glass lizards have a dark brown or black line on their side.
Habitat & Range
Mimic glass lizards are found in the southeastern region of the United States in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. These glass lizards are most common in the longleaf pine flatwoods or in open woodlands. They prefer dry habitats and areas that have a lot of grass.
Food Web & Energy Flow
The diet for Mimic glass lizards consists of worms, spiders, and other invertebrates (animals without a backbone). Unlike snakes, mimic glass lizards have a more structured jaw bone that cannot detach. They are unable to eat anything larger than their head size. These glass lizards are considered secondary consumers.
Relationship to Fire
Mimic glass lizards depend on fire to help maintain the groundcover. Since these lizards are commonly found in grassy areas they need fires to help clear some of the unwanted ground cover to help them find food. The fires also promote the growth of wiregrass which are commonly inhabited by these glass lizards.
Conservation Status
The mimic glass lizards are found in the longleaf pine flatwoods. Much of the longleaf pine has been impacted by habitat loss, fire suppression, and land use. This has caused the mimic glass lizards to become Vulnerable.
Human Impacts/ Threats
Land Use Conversion
Longleaf forests and the habitat it supports is being cleared or converted to use the land for other uses like houses, roads, agriculture, and even to grow different types of trees to sell.
Fire Suppression
Many people think of fires in the forest as bad, so they work hard to prevent or suppress them. But longleaf forests NEED regular fire to support habitat for the species that live there!
Resources
Amphibians and Reptiles of North Carolina. Information on mimic glass lizards
Savannah River Ecology Laboratory- Herpetology Program. Mimic glass lizards
