Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas

SQUAMATA (PART) — Other Lizards
The taxonomy used by the KHA reflects our understanding of evolutionary history. It is well-established that the traditional group "lizards" is not natural. And that snakes are a derived group of lizards that share a more recent common ancestor with some groups of lizards than they do with others. To reconcile this well-supported hypothesis, the KHA has opted to list all snakes and "other lizards" under Squamata. While this arrangement doesn't appear in most popular books, the continued traditional recognition of snakes with an equal but separate catchall "lizards" is untenable.

ESTABLISHED TAXA

Anguid Lizards — ANGUIDAE

Slender Glass Lizard Ophisaurus attenuatus Cope 1880

Collared and Leopard Lizards — CROTAPHYTIDAE

Eastern Collared Lizard Crotaphytus collaris (Say in James, 1822: 252)

Geckos — GEKKONIDAE

Mediterranean House Gecko Hemidactylus turcicus (Linnaeus 1758) — Introduced

Lacertas and Wall Lizards — LACERTIDAE

Western Green Lacerta Lacerta bilineata Daudin 1802 — Introduced

Italian Wall Lizard Podarcis siculus (Rafinesque-Schmaltz 1810) — Introduced

Sand and Spiny Lizards — PHRYNOSOMATIDAE

Common Lesser Earless Lizard Holbrookia maculata Girard 1851

Texas Horned Lizard Phrynosoma cornutum (Harlan 1825)

Prairie Lizard Sceloporus consobrinus Baird & Girard 1853

Skinks — SCINCIDAE

Coal Skink Plestiodon anthracinus (Baird 1849)

Common Five-lined Skink Plestiodon fasciatus (Linnaeus 1758)

Broad-headed Skink Plestiodon laticeps (Schneider, 1801) — Threatened

Great Plains Skink Plestiodon obsoletus (Baird & Girard 1852)

Prairie Skink Plestiodon septentrionalis (Baird 1858)

Little Brown Skink Scincella lateralis (Say in James, 1822: 324)

Whiptails, Racerunners, and Ameivas — TEIIDAE

Six-lined Racerunner Aspidoscelis sexlineatus (Linnaeus 1766)

NOT YET ESTABLISHED TAXA OF INTEREST

ANGUIDAE — Anguid Lizards

Eastern Glass Lizard Ophisaurus ventralis (Linnaeus 1766) — Accidental

GEKKONIDAE — Geckos

Dwarf Gecko Sphaerodactylus lineolatus Lichtenstein & Von Martens 1856 — Accidental

HELODERMATIDAE — Gila Monsters

Gila Monster Heloderma suspectum Cope 1869 — Accidental

PHRYNOSOMATIDAE — Sand and Spiny Lizards

Greater Earless Lizard Cophosaurus texanus

Northwestern Short-horned Lizard Phrynosoma hernandesi (Bell 1828) — Questionable

Round-tailed Horned Lizard Phrynosoma modestum

Eastern Fence Lizard Sceloporus undulatus

Eastern Side-blotched Lizard Uta stansburiana Schmidt 1921 — Accidental

SCINCIDAE — Skinks

Many-lined Skink Plestiodon multivirgatus (Hallowell 1857) — Possible

EXTINCT TAXA (in prep)

ANGUIDAE — Anguid Lizards

Munger's Alligator Lizard †Gerrhonotus mungerorum Wilson 1968

PHRYNOSOMATIDAE — Sand and Spiny Lizards

Hibbard's Skink †Eumecoides hibbardi Taylor 1941

Meade Skink †Eumecoides mylocoelus Taylor 1941

Thick-jawed Horned Lizard †Phrynosoma adinognathus Rickart 1976

Holman's Horned Lizard †Phrynosoma holmani (Eshelman 1975)

Robust Fence Lizard †Sceloporus robustus

SCINCIDAE — Skinks

Hixson's Skink †Plestiodon hixsonorum (Holman 1975)

Rexroad Skink †Plestiodon striatulatus (Taylor 1941)

TEIIDAE — Whiptails, Racerunners, and Ameivas

Rexroad Racerunner †Aspidoscelis bilobatus (Taylor 1941)