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West Virginia Lizards: Identification Guide With Pictures

Last checked November 3, 2026 against official sources.

On this page
  1. All 6 lizards
  2. Lookalikes
  3. When they are active
  4. How to report
  5. About this list
  6. Sources

WVDNR: West Virginia is home to 6 species of lizards.

This page lists 6 lizards: all from WVDNR's Amphibians & Reptiles.

All 6 lizards

From A to Z.

Broad-headed Skink
Photo: Laura Gaudette · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Broad-headed Skink

Plestiodon laticeps

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 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.
Conservation
WV State Wildlife Action Plan species of greatest conservation need; state rank S2; Priority 1 (2015 list)

Full Broad-headed Skink guide

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
Where in West Virginia
The northern fence lizard and common five-lined skink can be found in most counties in the state WVDNR

Full Common Five-lined Skink guide

Eastern Fence Lizard
Photo: Judy Gallagher · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

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
Where in West Virginia
The northern fence lizard and common five-lined skink can be found in most counties in the state WVDNR

Full Eastern Fence Lizard guide

No confirmed photo of Eastern Six-lined Racerunner

Eastern Six-lined Racerunner

Aspidoscelis s. 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
WV State Wildlife Action Plan species of greatest conservation need; state rank S1; Priority 1 (2015 list)
Little Brown Skink
Photo: Rstanton13 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · resized

Little Brown Skink

Scincella lateralis

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
WV State Wildlife Action Plan species of greatest conservation need; state rank S2 (2015 list)
No confirmed photo of Northern Coal Skink

Northern Coal Skink

Plestiodon a. anthracinus

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
WV State Wildlife Action Plan species of greatest conservation need; state rank S2; Priority 1 (2015 list)

Lizards people confuse

Common Five-lined Skink or Broad-headed Skink?

No confirmed photo of Common Five-lined Skink

Common Five-lined Skink Not stated

Broad-headed Skink
Photo: Laura Gaudette · CC BY 4.0 · iNaturalist

Broad-headed Skink Not stated

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 West Virginia

Records of lizards in West Virginia peak in May to July and September. They show when people record lizards, not how many there are (about month bars).

51 records of lizards in West Virginia by month (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records).

How to report

Report wildlife violations to any WVDNR district office or (844) 484-7367. Report sick or dead wildlife to a local district office. For nuisance wildlife, consult a WVDNR biologist or Natural Resources Police Officer, or hire a licensed Wildlife Damage Control Agent. For pest questions, WVDA Plant Industries Division: (304) 558-2212. No dedicated WVDNR invasive-species sighting line was found. WVDNR

About this list

The species list comes from Amphibians & Reptiles (Species Accounts: Lizards) (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR), WordPress modified 2026-04-20).

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

Sources

  1. Wildlife Diseases in West Virginia. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). WordPress modified 2026-06-25; checked November 3, 2026.
  2. Amphibians & Reptiles. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). WordPress modified 2026-04-20; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “West Virginia is home to 6 species of lizards.”
  3. West Virginia Reptile and Amphibian Regulations (summary). West Virginia Division of Natural Resources (WVDNR). 05/2023; checked November 3, 2026.
    Quoted passages (1)
    “Citizens may report violations to any DNR district office or call (844) 484-7367.”
  4. GBIF.org occurrence records, human observations licensed CC0 1.0 or CC BY 4.0 only, accessed November 3, 2026. The datasets behind these counts are listed on our Sources page.