Kansas Lizards: Identification Guide With Pictures

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: The habitat requirement of this species in Kansas are largely unknown. It has been observed in heavily wooded regions of eastern Kansas, generally east of the Flint Hills, and south of the Kansas River.Fleharty and Ittner (1967) reported three specimens (FHSM 2094, 2141-42) collected on 17 and 20 April 1965 under rocks in the grassy floodplain along the Smoky Hill River, 2 mi.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: Well documented from the forested eastern third of Kansas. Records from Ness (KU 18417-8; not plotted due to insufficient locality data) and Ellis (MHP 5624) counties are either introductions or misidentified specimens.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: This lizard is known from the western two-thirds of the state. The records for Girard, Crawford County (AMNH 1450-1) and Neosho Falls, Woodson County (USNM 4692) are dubious and in need of verification.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: Common in association with rocky areas but may also substitute mammal burrows along canyons in the southwest and south-central portions of the state (first reported by Tihen and Sprague, 1939). In northcentral Kansas, it is found in association with outcrops of the Cretaceous Greenhorn Limestone, Dakota Formation, and Niobrara Chalk (rarely).

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: Probably statewide, although infrequently encountered in the upper Smoky-Hill River drainage. Preferring to hide a majority of the time, Great Plains Skinks use burrows or hide under rocks.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: Kansas populations of this non-native species are well-established in Topeka, Hays, and Lawrence. An April 2020 observation of an individual Italian Wall Lizard in Olathe is currently being properly documented.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: In Kansas, this lizard is known from urban areas in Johnson, Lyon, Harvey, Saline, Douglas, and Sedgwick counties. They have been collected during warm weather around warehouses and hotels.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: Known from the Flint Hills, Cross Timbers, northern Osage Plains, and Drift Hills. It follows the Smoky-Hill, Saline, lower Soloman, and lower Republican river drainages west out of the Flint Hills.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: This lizard occurs throughout Kansas, and may particularly abundant in areas characterized by loose soils and patchy open (or rocky) vegetation. A quick and alert species, they are most easily taken under cover early in the morning.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: This species is found throughout the eastern two-thirds of Kansas. However, it is rare or absent from Drift Hills, Loess Hills, Arkansas River Sand Prairie, and eastern Smoky Hills.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: The Texas Horned Lizard is locally abundant across much of Kansas. It avoids most of the High Plains north of the Arkansas River basin, northeast Kansas east and north of the Blue and Kansas rivers.

Venom: “No species are venomous.” (Great Plains Nature Center (cooperative project of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and City of Wichita); published by the Friends of the Great Plains Nature Center)

Range: Native to western and central Europe, this large lizard has been established in a small area of Topeka since at least 1973. Unlike the Italian Wall Lizard, there is little evidence to show that this species is expanding its range.