Reptiles of North Carolina
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NC Records

Ophisaurus mimicus - Mimic Glass Lizard

No image for this species.
Taxonomy
Class: Reptilia Order: Squamata Family: Anguidae Subfamily: Anguinae
Taxonomic Comments: Ophisaurus is a genus of legless lizards found in both North America and Southeast Asia, with four species occurring north of Mexico (SSAR, 2016) and three found in North Carolina. Although snake-like in appearance, Glass Lizards have movable eyelids, external ear openings, and small scales on the belly, all of which are absent in snakes. Also unlike snakes, their tails can break off when an individual is attacked by a predator and can later regenerate them over time.
Species Comments: This species was described in 1987 by Bill Palmer, with the holotype from White Lake in Bladen County.
Identification
Description: Mimic and Slender Glass Lizards are very similar in appearance and photographs used as the basis for a record must show a good quality, close-up view of the lateral side of the head, with the scales between the eye and the lip particularly important to view. Photographs of the dorsal and lateral surfaces should also be provided.
Field Marks: Mimic Glass Lizards are a glossy, yellow-brown with several dark brown longitudinal lines located above the lateral fold (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). The similar Island Glass Lizard, which does not reach as far north as North Carolina, has only a single dark line above the lateral fold. Mimic Glass Lizards usually have a dark mid-dorsal line, similar to the Slender Glass Lizard, but usually lack the series of dark lines below the lateral fold that are typical of that species.
Morphological Features: One or more of the supralabials usually contact the orbit, or are separated only by small subocular scales around the eye (Palmer and Braswell, 1995). For details about the scalation and other features, see Palmer (1987)
Technical Reference: Palmer (1987); Palmer and Braswell (1995)
Field Guide Descriptions: Beane et al. (2010); Powell et al. (2016)
Online Photos:    Google   iNaturalist   GBIF
Observation Methods: Most Mimic Glass Lizard records come from drift fences or active road encounters. Use of surface cover objects like coverboard transects is not known.
Distribution in North Carolina
Distribution Comments: This species is found solely in the southern half of the Lower Coastal Plain, an area that still supports large tracts of the savanna and flatwood habitats it requires.
Distribution Reference: Palmer and Braswell (1995); NCMNS Herpetology Collection Database (accessed 2023-01)
County Map: Clicking on a county returns the records for the species in that county.
Key Habitat Requirements
Habitat: Mimic Glass Lizards are found almost entirely in Longleaf Pine savannas, flatwoods, and at least low sandridges where dense grassy cover exists. The specimens from White Lake that were used in the description of this species by Palmer (1987) were collected near a dry, sandy flatwoods that supported Turkey Oaks and heaths in addition to Longleaf Pines and Wiregrass. This species also uses wet savannas and pitcher plant bogs (two seen by Hall were in a wet, frequently burned savanna). Gibbons et al. (2009) state that it is "decidedly not a sandhills species", possibly due to the fact that it does not occur in the Fall-line Sandhills located well inland from the coast. While the absence from that region seems real, this species seems to otherwise utilize both fairly dry and fairly wet stands of Longleaf Pine-Wiregrass habitat throughout its narrow range near the coast.
Adaptations to Natural Disturbances: This species requires frequent fire to keep its habitat dominated by grasses and forbs. It probably burrows into the sand to escape being burned.
Biotic Relationships: Mimic Glass Lizards probably prey mainly on arthropods.
Life History and Autecology
Breeding and Courtship: Mimic Glass Lizard natural history is extremely poorly known. While it may be similar to other native Ophisaurus, dedicated studies are needed. Stevenson et al. (2023) suggested their breeding season may coincide with presumed increase in male activity in April to June.
Reproductive Mode: Nothing is known about Mimic Glass Lizard reproduction. They are presumed to be oviparous and may lay eggs in summer (June/July) like other glass lizards, but detailed studies are needed.
Terrestrial Life History: Mimic Glass Lizard natural history is extremely poorly known; a recent review found only 45 recent records of the species since 2000, and only 33 records from North Carolina since 1949 (Stevenson et al., 2023). Most records are from road crossings or surface activity; per Stevenson et al. (2023), they’ve never been found under surface cover. Diurnal, crepuscular, and nocturnal activity have all been recorded (Stevenson et al., 2023), and they are semifossorial. Cold weather habits are unknown. It is possible the species exhibits specific behavioral adaptations to avoid fires, given its primary habitat encompassing fire-dependent ecosystems. There are North Carolina records from March through November, with most records from April to June.

Home ranges have not been estimated for this species.
General Ecology
Adverse Environmental Impacts
Habitat Loss: Vast areas of the state that once supported the Longleaf Pine and Wiregrass habitats needed by this species have been converted to agriculture, managed timberlands, or urban development.
Habitat Fragmentation: As in our other terrestrial reptiles, major highways probably represent impassible barriers to the movements of this species.
Status in North Carolina
NHP State Rank: S1
Global Rank: G3
Status in North Carolina: E
Populations: The range of this species in North Carolina is probably now divided into several isolated blocks of habitat, with little, if any dispersal between them.
Protected Lands: Large tracts of the habitat used by this species are protected within the Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, the Croatan National Forest, and the Holly Shelter Game Land.
Status Comments: Mimic Glass Lizards are known from relatively few specimens in North Carolina, all coming from a small number of sites. Direct habitat conversion and the loss of open, grass- and forb-dominated habitats due to fire-suppression has eliminated a great deal of the habitat needed by this species and the remaining habitat units are now widely separated. This species is currently considered rare both globally and within North Carolina and is state-listed as Endangered.
Stewardship: Prescribed burning is necessary to maintain the habitats used by this species, with a three-year rotation possibly optimal.