9 Types of Lizards Found in Nebraska! (ID Guide)

What kinds of lizards can you find in Nebraska?”

common lizards in Nebraska

I was amazed by the number of lizards in the United States – well over 150 species! Some species live only in a small area, and some are widespread over hundreds of miles.

Today, you’ll learn about 9 different kinds of lizards in Nebraska.


#1. Six-Lined Racerunner

  • Aspidoscelis sexlineata

types of lizards in Nebraska

Identifying Characteristics:

  • 2.25 to 3.75 inches long from snout to vent (length does not include the tail).
  • “Dark fields,” or broad stripes in between lighter stripes on whiptails, are brown to black.
  • 6-8 light stripes vary in color from white or yellow to gray-blue.
  • In males, coloring is much brighter, with greens on the back and light turquoise on the belly.

The Six-Lined Racerunner has the widest range of all lizards in Nebraska.

They thrive in varied habitats, including grassland, rocky terrain, wooded areas, and even floodplains. So, you have a good chance of seeing one as long as you’re within their range!

Six-Lined Racerunners are insectivores, and their primary food source is termites. However, they also eat beetles, ants, and spiders, so these small whiptails can be handy to have around if you have a pest problem.

The Six-Lined Racerunner lives up to its name, clocking speeds at up to 18 miles per hour! They have no problem outmaneuvering predators and curious humans!

YouTube video

#2. Common Sagebrush Lizard

  • Sceloporus graciosus

species of lizards in Nebraska

Identifying Characteristics:

  • 1.9 to 3.5 inches long from snout to vent (length does not include the tail).
  • Coloring is gray or brown with a light stripe on each side, a black bar at the shoulder, and blue patches on the belly.
  • Unusually long, almost spidery back claws.

This species is one of few spiny lizards in Nebraska.

Common Sagebrush Lizards are typically found in sagebrush fields, as their name suggests, but you can also find them in grasslands and among dunes. They are most active during daylight hours.

Common Sagebrush Lizard Range Map:

These spiny lizards eat a wide variety of insects and even scorpions! They hibernate during winter when temperatures drop, and food becomes scarce.

The easiest way to tell if you’ve found a Common Sagebrush Lizard is to look at its belly. The brilliant blue spots on its throat and abdomen are a dead giveaway!


#3. Prairie Lizard

  • Sceloporus consobrinus

common lizards in Nebraska

Identifying Characteristics:

  • 3.5 to 7.5 inches long from snout to vent (length does not include the tail).
  • Coloring is light reddish-brown with a light brown stripe down the spine.
  • Orange or red coloring on the lips and chin is sometimes present.

Look for Prairie Lizards in Nebraska in habitats with lots of places to perch, including open forests, tall grass fields, or even dunes. Their diet is made up of insects and spiders they can easily subdue.

Prairie Lizard Range Map:

These spiny lizards are one of the best climbers in their family! In Nebraska, Prairie Lizards spend most of their time off the ground perched in trees, on fences, and even on sunflowers.

In addition to climbing, Prairie Lizards can run so fast that they’re hard to catch. If you see one, you’ll probably have more luck observing from a distance than trying to get up close!

YouTube video


#4. Great Plains Skink

  • Plestiodon obsoletus

types of lizards in Nebraska

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Adults are up to 13 inches long.
  • Coloring ranges from light gray or olive to tan with darker brown markings.
  • The tail and feet are usually pale yellow or orange, and the belly is often marked with salmon.
  • Young individuals are black with an iridescent blue tail and gold spots on the head.

Great Plains Skinks in southern Nebraska are frequently found in prairie grassland with open, low-growing plants. However, they occasionally also live in woodland or semi-arid desert areas.

Great Plains Skinks are very aggressive if threatened!

They hide under rocks, shrubs, or logs but are likely to bite if they are disturbed or handled. So, if you happen to find one, observe with caution!

In addition, they’re aggressive hunters and will eat insects, snails, spiders, and even other lizards.


#5. Many-Lined Skink

  • Plestiodon multivirgatus
species of lizards in Nebraska
By Joefarah – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Adults are up to 7.5 inches long.
  • The tail is much longer than the body compared to other skinks: roughly 1 to 1.5 times as long.
  • Light and dark stripes run the length of the body.
  • During the breeding season, many males develop orange or red lips.

Many-Lined Skinks in northwestern Nebraska prefer areas with water or moist soil.

They live in various habitats, from mountain areas to vacant lots and even city dumps! Their primary food source is ant larvae and other insects.

Young Many-Lined Skinks have bright blue tails. A uniquely colored tail is a defensive strategy that helps attract predators away from the skink’s body! If a predator tries to bite or grab the skink, it can drop its tail and escape!

There are two subspecies of this skink.

  • Northern Many-Lined Skink (P.m. multivirgatus) generally has more well-defined stripes and is almost always gray and black.
  • Variable Skink (P.m. epipleurotus) comes in a variety of colors and patterns. The subspecies’ ranges don’t overlap, and some scientists consider them two separate species!

#6. Northern Prairie Skink

  • Plestiodon septentrionalis

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Adults are up to 9 inches long.
  • Their coloring is olive-brown with multiple light stripes bordered with dark brown.
  • Some individuals have a single stripe in the middle of the back, while others have a pair of stripes.
  • The belly is generally a lighter brown than the back and uniform in color.

You’re likely to find Northern Prairie Skinks in open plains and along streambeds in northeastern Nebraska. They are one of the hardiest species of skinks and can survive extremely cold temperatures.

Northern Prairie Skinks have a fascinating way of staying alive during winter. They burrow below the frost line to stay warm enough not to freeze!

Some scientists consider the Northern Prairie Skink and the Southern Prairie Skink subspecies. However, they don’t live in the same area, and their appearance is so different that most references give both full species status.


#7. Greater Short-Horned Lizard

  • Phrynosoma hernandesi

species of horned lizards in the united states

Identifying Characteristics:

  • 1.75 to 4.75 inches long from snout to vent (length does not include the tail).
  • Coloring is beige, tan, or reddish, speckled with white. There are large brown blotches on the neck and sides.
  • Horns are short and stubby, located on the back of the head and each side.

Greater Short-Horned Lizards prefer to live in western Nebraska in shortgrass prairies and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Their habitat is generally semi-arid, with long dry spells and infrequent but heavy rain.

Greater Short-Horned Lizard Range Map

Ants are a primary food source for Greater Short-Horned Lizards, but they have a varied diet. They also eat grasshoppers, beetles, wasps, caterpillars, spiders, and even snails!

This species is one of only two types of horned lizards in Nebraska that gives birth to live young!

And you may not believe this, but they can produce up to 48 babies in one birth!

YouTube video


#8. Slender Glass Lizard

  • Ophisaurus attenuatus

Identifying Characteristics:

  • 22 to 47 inches long.
  • Coloring is generally brown to black, with whitish markings in the middle of the scales.
  • Younger individuals have dark stripes along the back and sides, and older individuals develop faint crossbands.

Slender Glass Lizards live in dry grasslands and open forests in southeastern Nebraska.

They eat insects, spiders, small rodents, and small lizards. However, unlike snakes, they do not have flexible jaws, which means they can only eat prey smaller than their head!

Credit: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

Glass lizards are named for their extremely fragile tails, which can break off even without being touched. Slender Glass Lizards are rarely found with their original tail intact because they break so often! If you notice that the end of its tail is tan with no stripes, you can be sure the lizard lost its original tail.

You’re likely to find a Slender Glass Lizard in animal burrows or piles of debris.

There are two subspecies:

  • Western Slender Glass Lizards (O. attenuatus attenuatus) have shorter tails.
  • Eastern Slender Glass Lizards (O. attenuatus longicaudus) have longer tails.

#9. Common Lesser Earless Lizard

  • Holbrookia maculata

types of earless lizards in the united states

Identifying Characteristics:

  • Up to 2.75 inches long from snout to vent, and 4 to 5.25 inches total.
  • Tan to brown with pale stripes along the back.
  • Males have pairs of black bars behind the arms, which females typically lack.
  • Gravid (pregnant) females develop pink, yellow, or orange coloring on their backs.

Common Lesser Earless Lizards are found in Nebraska in tallgrass prairie with sandy soil.

They are highly camouflaged and almost impossible to see on the ground unless they’re moving.

Credit: United States Geological Survey (USGS)

If you do spot a Common Lesser Earless Lizard, you might notice that it doesn’t have ear openings like other lizards! This is an adaptation that allows it to spend most of its life burrowed under the loose soil of its habitat.

There are up to NINE distinct subspecies of the Lesser Earless Lizard! However, there’s some disagreement in the scientific community about whether all subspecies deserve a separate name. They’re all very similar in looks, and more research is needed.


Do you need additional help identifying lizards?

Try this field guide!


Which of these lizards have you seen in Nebraska?

Leave a comment below!


Also, if you enjoy this article, make sure to check out these other guides!

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