This page lists 8 lizards: 6 from Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife's Reptiles of Indiana List and 2 named in other official sources.
2 are nonnative.
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Size
About 6.5 to 12.75 inches in total length. Oklahoma gives about 12 inches for large adults and SREL up to 13 inches. Males are larger than females.
How to recognize it
Large, wide head; breeding males have swollen orange-red jowls.
Smooth, glass-like scales, short legs and a stocky body.
Upper-lip scales separate it from five-lined skinks: Maryland, Tennessee and North Carolina count five labial scales between the nostril and the eye rather than four. Oklahoma and Missouri count differently, around 8 or 9 in the full lip row.
NCWRC: broadhead skinks reach a much larger size. ODWC: juveniles can be told apart by counting the upper lip scales (five-lined: seven, with two post-labials; broad-headed: nine, with no post-labials).
Photos show typical adults; individuals vary. Never get close to compare.
When lizards are active in Indiana
Records of lizards in Indiana peak in May to July. They show when people record lizards, not how many there are (about month bars).
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
131 records of lizards in Indiana by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).
How to report
Invasive species: report online via EDDMapS or the GLEDN app; terrestrial invasives 1-866-NO-EXOTIC (1-866-663-9684), [email protected]; aquatic invasives [email protected]. Nuisance wildlife: DNR does not remove wildlife; hire a licensed wildlife control operator; DNR Customer Service 317-232-4200 or [email protected]. Mammal sightings (armadillo, mountain lion, etc.): DNR Report a Mammal form. Gecko / wall lizard sightings: [email protected]. Indiana Department of Natural Resources
What official sources say
Are there lizards in Indiana?
Yes. Six native lizards are on the DNR list (fence lizard, slender glass lizard, six-lined racerunner, three skinks); introduced common wall lizards live along the Ohio River in Dearborn and Ohio counties. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife
“The current known range of wall lizards includes the southeast corner of Dearborn County and eastern Ohio County.”
About this list
The species list comes from Reptiles of Indiana List (Indiana DNR) (Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife, Revised September 2021). 2 more entries come from other official sources named on each card.
Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.
Reptiles of Indiana List. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. page states "Revised September 2021"; checked November 3, 2026.
Mediterranean Gecko. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-03-09; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“These lizards have noticeably warty skin and large, bulging eyes with vertical pupils. They also have wide toe pads used for climbing.”
Wall Lizards. Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish & Wildlife. dateModified 2026-03-09; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
“The current known range of wall lizards includes the southeast corner of Dearborn County and eastern Ohio County.”
Invasive Species. Indiana Department of Natural Resources. dateModified 2026-09-08; checked November 3, 2026.Quoted passages (1)
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