2014 guide to species at risk in the prairie provinces: chapter 3
Reptiles
Eastern Yellow-bellied Racer
Coluber constrictor flaviventris
Threatened
Eastern yellow-bellied racers are long and slender snakes with whip-like tails, elongated heads and smooth lustrous scales. The upper part of their bodies are bluish-green and their bellies are yellow. In Canada, they are found in a few areas of southern Saskatchewan, in open habitats such as grasslands and agricultural areas. They also appear in extreme southeastern Alberta.
Did you know?
- As the name implies, racers are built for speed and are capable of travelling up to 7 km/h for very short distances.
- They return to the same den each year to hibernate through the winter months.
- Be aware of snakes which may be on roads in their general area of occurrence as they disperse to feed in the summer months.
Greater Short-horned Lizard
Phrynosoma hernandesi
Endangered
The greater short-horned lizard is a squat grayish lizard with some dark blotches, often with white edges, on its back. There are short spines along the back of the head, and there are fringes of triangular scales along the sides of the abdomen. This lizard thrives in a hot, dry badland habitat with exposed soils, sparse vegetation along drainages such as rocky river beds in southeastern Alberta and in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan.
Did you know?
- This lizard eats a variety of insects but it is especially fond of ants.
- The females bear live young which are about 1 inch long.
- These lizards are very secretive and extremely difficult to find because their colour closely matches the ground colour, and these lizards often do not move when they are approached.
Northern Prairie Skink
Plestiodon septentrionalis
Endangered
The northern prairie skink is a cigar-shaped lizard with small legs, an olive to olivebrown back, dark sides and seven light stripes on its back and sides. The tail is bright blue in the young. It inhabits sandy areas with adequate cover, such as native grasses.
Did you know?
- The prairie skink is the only lizard species in Manitoba and one of only six native lizard species in Canada.
- Female prairie skinks nest in subterranean burrows or, more typically, under artificial cover such as sheets of tin and old boards.
- They spend more than seven months of the year in hibernation.
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