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Iowa Lizards: Identification Guide With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. All 5 lizards
  2. How to report
  3. About this list
  4. Sources

This page lists 5 lizards: all from Iowa DNR's List of Iowa Reptiles Evaluated by the IWAP.

All 5 lizards

From A to Z.

No confirmed photo of Common Five-lined Skink

Common Five-lined Skink

Plestiodon fasciatus

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Size
5 to 8.5 inches
How to recognize it
  • Smooth, shiny scales
  • Enlarged middle row of scales under the tail (separates it from the southeastern five-lined skink)
  • Tail breaks off easily and twitches to distract predators; it grows back shorter
Conservation
Iowa Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

Full Common Five-lined Skink guide

Great Plains Skink
Photo: Peter Paplanus from St. Louis, Missouri · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Great Plains Skink

Plestiodon obsoletus

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Conservation
state endangered; Iowa Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
Prairie Skink
Photo: Peter Paplanus · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Prairie Skink

Plestiodon septentrionalis

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Six-lined Racerunner
Photo: Joe Brewer · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Six-lined Racerunner

Aspidoscelis sexlineata

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Conservation
Iowa Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)
Slender Glass Lizard
Photo: Peter Paplanus from St. Louis, Missouri · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Slender Glass Lizard

Ophisaurus attenuatus

Not stated

Venom
No official source we use states whether this animal is venomous. That does not mean it is harmless: do not handle it.
Conservation
state threatened; Iowa Species of Greatest Conservation Need (SGCN)

How to report

Aquatic invasive species: report suspected sightings to the nearest Iowa DNR fisheries station or by email (address on the DNR AIS page, [email protected] as decoded from the page link). Elk sightings: local conservation officer or wildlife field staff. Nuisance wildlife in a home: a DNR-licensed Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator. Iowa DNR

About this list

The species list comes from List of Iowa Reptiles Evaluated by the IWAP (Iowa Wildlife Action Plan 2025, Appendix 4) (Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR), 2025 IWAP).

Venom labels come only from official sources and link to them; "Not stated" never means harmless. How labels work.

Sources

  1. Mission, Vision & Leadership. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR). sitemap lastmod 2024-11-20; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Iowa Wildlife Action Plan (2025 revision) - All Appendices (Appendix 3 amphibians, 4 reptiles, 5-6 birds, 7 mammals, 11 bumble bees, 16 T&E). Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR). Plan submitted to USFWS December 31, 2025 and approved; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. Aquatic Invasive Species. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR). sitemap lastmod 2026-02-23; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Learn to identify aquatic invasive species and report any suspected sightings to the nearest DNR fisheries station.”