Lizards

     I've seen lizards sunning themselves on rocks in California and Mexico, but I've never seen a lizard in New Jersey.  Do we have lizards in New Jersey?  Yes, we do.  I found a colony of them living under the evergreen shrubs at the Mt. Laurel Community Center.   From time to time, I noticed fast moving critters dashing under the bushes when I walked into the center.  At first I thought they were chipmunks.  The other day, I saw several shapes on the sidewalk, so I approached very slowly.  There must have been a population explosion of lizards this year.  I saw at least eight of them in various sizes.  They must have become more comfortable around humans.  As I stood on the sidewalk, they ran back and forth, crossing my path.
     I'm not a fraidy cat when it comes to reptiles.  If it won't bite me, I'll handle a snake or a lizard. I thought the little guys dodging the humans were kind of cute.  I consulted the New Jersey Online Field Guide to learn more about them.
     There are three species of lizard native to New Jersey.  One species is the Northern Fence Lizard.  They prefer to stay on tree trunks, and are only occasionally found on the ground.

Northern Fence Lizard - Spiny and Arboreal 

Another species is the Five-Lined Skink.  They are usually black with a five line pattern running from head to tail.  They like to live in a damp habitat with lots of rotting debris like logs, rock piles, or piles of old boards.

Five-Lined Skink

    
There is another type of skink, the Ground Skink.  They prefer wooded areas and like to live in leaf litter.  They are brown to black in coloration and have a disproportionately long tail - that is, if they have a tail.  If you give them a fright, they might drop their tail.  They have a stripe running down their sides.  I'm pretty sure the Community Center lizards are Ground Skinks.

Ground Skink 

Lizards are active from May through September.  I hope I see them a few more times before they go into hibernation.