A Broad-Headed Skink

protourist said:
Is this little beauty a Green Bamboo Viper? If so he likes to bite. Not a lot of venom though.
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If that's the same one we used to run across in Vietnam, it's a nasty little bugger. Seems like the ones in Nam were considered highly venomous. We also had the Russel's viper that was decidedly nasty.
 
Here in south florida we have a bunch of different lizards. I'll round up pics of some, we have Geko's, Skinks, Curly Tails, camelions, Iguanas and cuban anoles.
Here is one I ran down in the back yard, he is a medium.
DSCN9381.jpg
 
The iguanas aren't a native species to Florida, are they?
Aren't they like those big pythons and boas, that were turned loose or escaped?
 
jill jackson said:
The iguanas aren't a native species to Florida, are they?
Aren't they like those big pythons and boas, that were turned loose or escaped?
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Yep, those are all invasives. Some were released as pets, some escaped and some got out when Andrew and a couple other hurricanes blew thru. I have a friend that ended up with 4 ferrits after andrew, neighbors kept bringing them to her when they turned up at Fido's bowl
 
protourist said:
Is this little beauty a Green Bamboo Viper? If so he likes to bite. Not a lot of venom though.
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I believe that is a "white lipped tree viper"

That one was actually quite "friendly" it didnt strike once while I was taking
pictures. I moved it off the path after I took those pics as well because most
people here dont like snalkes as much as I do and again no actual strike just posturing.
 
Had two blue tongue lizards takeup residence in the backyard last year and they sure keep down pests like snails and slugs and of course are much better than having to use poisons.
:thumbup:
 
Haze said:
I believe that is a "white lipped tree viper"

That one was actually quite "friendly" it didnt strike once while I was taking
pictures. I moved it off the path after I took those pics as well because most
people here dont like snalkes as much as I do and again no actual strike just posturing.
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I'm not trying to be argumentative but, everything I see has the white lipped tree viper having yellow eyes.
This one has beautiful red eyes. Am I missing something?
 
protourist said:
I'm not trying to be argumentative but, everything I see has the white lipped tree viper having yellow eyes.
This one has beautiful red eyes. Am I missing something?
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The eyes are exactly what threw me off :confused:

It seems having the white stripe on the flanks and the light brownish tail
along with red/brownish or yellow eyes can be features of both snakes.
The thing that leads me to think this is a WLV is where it was found.
(right next to a river in a shady damp area.)
The WLV is also more common here than the bamboo viper.
 
Very interesting. Thanks for the education.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
The first pic is what my dad always called a Umeces which is the name of the Genus of the skink. I am pretty sure the second picture is an immature of the first you posted. Now if it had 6 lines it would be a different type but since it has 5 I'm pretty sure it is immature.

I am just going on what I remember growing up from what my dad told me as he has his PhD in Zoology.
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I only saw one of these in my lifetime, the blue tailed skink, in a suburb of Los Angeles back in the seventies. He was lightning fast!
However, I was hiking this spring near my home in Simi Valley and stumbled across this coastal horned lizard, aka horny toad. It made my day, never seen one in the wild til that day.

P1010234.jpg

Now, I also found this unidentified lizard in Thousand Oaks, which is in So Cal Ventura Co. I really do not think it is an alligator lizard, cause I caught those all my life, and use them as ear rings (let them bite your ear lobes and scare the girls), but any help would be appreciated. I have looked at many herpetology sites, but could not find an id.
lizardcropped.jpg

The markings are not characteristic of an alligator lizard, nor is the white side cheek markings. I only have this picture to show, I lost sight as I madly was fumbling with my camera and getting poked by agave or yucca spears.
 
I have had some type of small, black bodied and purple tailed lizard living among my container plants on my front porch for years.
 
Wow, haven't seen a horny toad in years. I am from Texas and they were all over when I was a kid. I think the fire ants changed a lot of that. Don't think the horney toad was ever here in florida
 
I heard recently they are working on a biological control for fire ants. A parasite that will be spread back through the nest. It is a shame that native species decline when a foreign species is introduced and thrives unchecked. I did not let my kids pick up the lizard, I wanted it to go untouched. For some reason that was important to me. I am still hoping there is herp fan out there that can ID the second picture....
 
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