Photo provided by DNR
(LAWRENCEBURG, Ind.) -- Indiana Conservation Officers are hoping the public can help them track a lizard species that has been found in Dearborn County.
There were upwards of 35 Common Wall Lizards recently found in a rock-lined embankment bordering the Ohio River in Lawrenceburg.
Since that initial discovery, additional wall lizard colonies have been found in Aurora and Rising Sun.
Common wall lizards are not native to North America and are not generally dangerous.
"However, there is some concern among herpetologists that common wall lizards may outcompete native species like common five-lined skinks for food and shelter, though more research is needed to understand their interactions," DNR officers said.
Further work is needed to determine the extent of colonization in southeast Indiana and inform the DNR’s management recommendation.
Sightings of common wall lizards, especially those backed by photographs, should be emailed to HerpSurveys@dnr.IN.gov
Common wall lizards are approximately 5½ to 8 inches in length as adults and usually have a brown or gray back with mottling or spotting on the sides. Some of them have a reticulated pattern on their back.
This species tends to thrive in urban and suburban areas where they inhabit stone walls, rubble heaps, degraded building infrastructure, rocky hillsides, and shoreline areas like that of the Ohio River.
Commentaires