States Wildlife

South Dakota Lizards: Identification Guide With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. All 8 lizards
  2. How to report
  3. About this list
  4. Sources

This page lists 8 lizards: all from South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks's Amphibians and Reptiles checklist.

All 8 lizards

From A to Z.

No confirmed photo of Five-lined Skink

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

Full Five-lined Skink guide

Lesser Earless Lizard
Photo: dconvertini · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Lesser Earless Lizard

Holbrookia maculata

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
SD Natural Heritage Program Rare Animals list: state rank S2 (imperiled; reviewed 07/27/2020)
Many-lined Skink
Photo: Joefarah · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Many-lined Skink

Plestiodon multivirgatus

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
SD Natural Heritage Program Rare Animals list: state rank S2 (imperiled; reviewed 10/13/2020)
Prairie (Eastern Fence) Lizard
Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Prairie (Eastern Fence) Lizard

Sceloporus undulatus

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
About 4 to 7.25 inches total length (SREL, Ohio DNR); Illinois gives up to about 19 cm (7.5 in).
How to recognize it
  • Rough, spiny, keeled scales: the only native lizard in North Carolina (and in Georgia and South Carolina) that looks rough or spiny
  • Often on fences, trees, logs, stumps, rocks and buildings; dashes up a tree and keeps to the far side when approached
Conservation
SD Natural Heritage Program Rare Animals list: state rank S2 (imperiled; reviewed 10/14/2020)

Full Prairie (Eastern Fence) Lizard guide

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.
Sagebrush Lizard
Photo: Ben · CC0 1.0 · iNaturalist

Sagebrush Lizard

Sceloporus graciosus

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
SD Natural Heritage Program Rare Animals list: state rank S2 (imperiled; reviewed 10/14/2020)
Short-horned Lizard
Photo: Bob Walker · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Short-horned Lizard

Phrynosoma hernandesi

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
SD Natural Heritage Program Rare Animals list: state rank S3 (very rare and local or vulnerable; reviewed 10/14/2020)
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.

How to report

SDGFP: [email protected] (hunting/fishing and wildlife questions); report a suspected aquatic invasive species with a photo to [email protected]; report a tick photo to SD DOH via the South Dakota Tick Survey; report wildlife violations at 1.888.OVERBAG. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks

About this list

The species list comes from Amphibians and Reptiles checklist (SDGFP Wildlife Action Plan website) (South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (Wildlife Action Plan website checklists), undated PDF; server Last-Modified 2015-06-15).

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

Sources

  1. Contact Us. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks. undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Amphibians and Reptiles checklist. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (Wildlife Action Plan website checklists). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
  3. SD Least Wanted: Laws and Regulations (aquatic invasive species). South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (sdleastwanted.sd.gov). undated page; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “If you catch what you believe is an invasive species, please take a picture of it and send the picture to [email protected].”