[BlueWillowPlate]

I was walking along the shoreline early this morning and saw this snake in the shallows. It didn't look like an eel at all. Plus, when I watched it swim, it kept its head up out of the water.
I worried that maybe it was just some sort of garter snake that got stuck.
I very gingerly picked it up by its tail and moved it to the wet part of the sand, so it could get to land if it wanted to, or back to the water if that was where it was supposed to be.

[bierk]

That is actually not a snake, believe it or not. It is actually a glass lizard, a legless type of lizard that can drop its tail like certain other type of conventional looking lizards. In your first picture you can see where he previously lost his tail and it is regrowing. In lizards that have or are currently regrowing the tail you can tell because the tail doesn't look quite like the original.

[doggiebus]

wow, thanks never seen one of these my entire life living here. Thanks for the info.

[BlueWillowPlate]

Thanks bierk
I had actually figured out what it was and was coming back to post a link.
I did see where he had lost a bit of his tail, and that did make me think twice, but the lack of any legs did throw me off a bit. So it was okay for him to be swimming around like that? It seemed to me that he might be in trouble if he got swept out. But I'm not his momma.

Eastern Glass Lizard (http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects/herpcons/herps_of_NC/lizards/Oph_ven.html - broken link)

[Katie1]

Interfering with wildlife is never a good idea...but who can resist when something is in trouble!!

[riveree]

He's beautiful, I haven't seen one in the wild yet .

[SoFLGal]

He looks kind of like one of those wooden snakes you'd see in a store. You know, the one's that you hold by the tail and they move. Cool looking lizard!

[bdhh]

My Gma used to try and chase these out of the yard and they would usually end up breaking off their tails but she always called them a glass snake

[bmw335xi]

Originally Posted by BlueWillowPlate

Thanks bierk
I had actually figured out what it was and was coming back to post a link.
I did see where he had lost a bit of his tail, and that did make me think twice, but the lack of any legs did throw me off a bit. So it was okay for him to be swimming around like that? It seemed to me that he might be in trouble if he got swept out. But I'm not his momma.

Eastern Glass Lizard (http://www.bio.davidson.edu/projects...s/Oph_ven.html - broken link)

I'm glad to see people out there still have hearts! hehe