12 Types of Lizards in Central Florida: A Backyard Identification Guide
September 15, 2026
A green anole flashing its pink dewlap on a porch rail and a five-foot tegu vanishing into a drainage ditch are both part of daily life for anyone tracking the types of lizards in Central Florida. Florida has three times as many nonnative established lizards as native ones, and the region stretching from Ocala through Orlando to Tampa hosts a distinctive mix of ancient natives and recently arrived invaders. Warm year-round temperatures allow the state to support more than 50 species of lizards, so knowing which ones belong in your backyard versus which ones don’t matters for both curiosity and conservation.
This guide breaks down 12 species you’re likely to encounter, from the tiny native scrub lizard found only in Florida’s ancient sand dunes to the increasingly common Argentine tegu raiding turtle nests. For a broader statewide overview, the complete guide to lizards in Florida covers additional coastal and southern species not typically found this far inland.
| Species | Status in Central Florida | Typical Size | Where You’ll Find It |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Anole (Green Anole) | Native | 5–8 inches | Shrubs, trees, garden fences |
| Brown Anole | Invasive | 5–8.5 inches | Ground, low vegetation, sidewalks |
| Knight Anole | Invasive | Up to 19 inches | Tree canopies, palm fronds |
| Curly-tailed Lizard | Invasive | 7–11 inches | Rock walls, parking lots, open ground |
| Florida Scrub Lizard | Native | 4–5.5 inches | Sand pine scrub, dry uplands |
| Green Iguana | Invasive (Prohibited) | Up to 5 feet | Canals, tree limbs, seawalls |
| Five-lined Skink | Native | 5–8.5 inches | Leaf litter, logs, forest edges |
| Common Agama | Invasive | 7–10 inches | Walls, fences, sunny open ground |
| Glass Lizard | Native | 18–42 inches | Grassy fields, sandy soil |
| Brown Basilisk | Invasive | Up to 24 inches | Canals, ponds, wetland edges |
| House Gecko | Invasive | 3–7 inches | Walls, porch lights, ceilings |
| Tegu | Invasive (Prohibited) | Up to 5 feet | Burrows, rangeland, ditch banks |
1. Carolina Anole (Green Anole)
The Carolina Anole is the only anole species native to the United States, and it remains one of the most recognizable lizards across Central Florida yards. The species, Anolis carolinensis, is celebrated for its ability to shift color depending on conditions: green anoles can change color from bright green to brown, depending on temperature, mood, and surroundings.
These bright green lizards spend their days hunting insects in shrubs and trees, eating beetles, flies, spiders, roaches, and mosquitoes. Ecologically, the species acts as a key predator of insects and small arthropods, making it a genuine garden ally rather than a pest. Gardeners interested in the full range of eight-legged prey these lizards target can check the guide to spiders in Florida for context on what anoles help keep in check.
Unfortunately, the native green anole is losing ground. Competition from the invasive Brown Anole has caused a decline in Green Anole populations across much of the state, pushing green anoles higher into tree canopies while brown anoles dominate the ground level below.
Pro Tip: If you spot a green lizard on the ground rather than in a shrub or tree, look closely — it may actually be a color-phase brown anole rather than a true Carolina anole, since brown anoles rarely climb far off the ground.
2. Brown Anole
The brown anole, Anolis sagrei, is now the most abundant lizard in most Central Florida neighborhoods despite being an invasive species. Adults grow 5 to 8.5 inches long and are brown to grayish in color, usually with a white to yellowish, roughly diamond-shaped pattern on the back, and adult males display an orange or red dewlap with a white edge.
The species was introduced into Palm Beach County in the 1940s during a failed attempt to control sugar cane pests, and it has since spread across nearly the entire state and into neighboring Gulf states. It has decimated native lizard populations, preying on anoles and eating just about anything, including human leftovers and pet food. The species has also become established well outside Florida, a pattern covered in more depth in the guide to lizards in Texas.
Brown anoles typically feed on a variety of insects and spiders and are usually found on the ground or in low vegetation, where they live in a wide range of habitats and compete directly with native species for food and space. Their sheer numbers on driveways, mulch beds, and fence lines make them the anole most people actually see day to day.
3. Knight Anole
The knight anole, Anolis equestris, is the largest anole species established in the United States and an increasingly common sight in oak and palm canopies across Central Florida. Native to Cuba, this bright green lizard was introduced through the pet trade and has since built stable populations in urban tree cover, where its size and bold yellow markings often lead people to mistake it for a small iguana rather than an anole.
Unlike the smaller anoles that dart across fences, knight anoles spend most of their lives well above ground in tree canopies, feeding on large insects, smaller lizards, and occasionally soft fruit. Because their size and color-shifting habits sometimes get them confused with other exotic reptiles kept as pets, readers curious about lizards with genuine color-changing abilities may enjoy the guide to chameleons in Florida for a side-by-side comparison.
Knight anoles can deliver a painful bite if handled or cornered, so wildlife professionals generally recommend observing them from a distance rather than attempting to catch or relocate one found in a yard.
4. Curly-tailed Lizard
The northern curly-tailed lizard, Leiocephalus carinatus, gets its name from its most obvious feature. As the name suggests, curly-tailed lizards have a curly tail that curves upward in a circular fashion over their back, a trait that makes the species easy to distinguish from every other lizard on this list at a glance.
Originally native to the Bahamas and Cuba, curly-tailed lizards were released in South Florida decades ago to control pests in sugar cane fields, and populations have since expanded into Central Florida’s drier, more open habitats. They favor rocky walls, parking lots, and sun-baked open ground, often basking boldly in places where other lizards would stay hidden. Readers interested in how lizard communities adapt to arid, sun-exposed terrain elsewhere in the country can compare notes in the guide to lizards in Arizona.
Curly-tailed lizards are opportunistic feeders that eat insects, smaller lizards, and even flowers or fruit when available, and their bold, non-skittish behavior around people often makes them one of the easier invasive species to observe up close.
5. Florida Scrub Lizard
The Florida scrub lizard, Sceloporus woodi, is one of the true prizes of Central Florida herping trips because it exists nowhere else on Earth. This fairly small and hardy lizard is typically found in dry habitats like the sandhills, farm fields, and grasslands of central Florida, and is gray to tan with a dark brownish-orange stripe down each side of the body.
Males show off an aqua stripe and aqua shoulder patches, while females carry several wavy stripes instead. The species is native and fairly widespread but is currently threatened by habitat loss, and its scientific name honors Nelson R. Wood, a taxidermist who collected the first specimen studied extensively in 1918.
Key Insight: The conservation of the Florida scrub lizard depends on periodic wildfires that rejuvenate and maintain the scrub ecosystem, clearing dense vegetation and opening space for the lizard to hunt and bask. Without fire, the sandhill habitat this species depends on gradually closes in and becomes unsuitable.
Urban development and invasive species now threaten this reptile’s future, underscoring the need for habitat protection and restoration efforts across central Florida. For a deeper look at how fire-dependent ecosystems shape Florida’s reptile diversity, Animal Dive’s overview of Florida lizards covers several other scrub-dependent species.
6. Green Iguana
The green iguana, Iguana iguana, is one of the largest and most controversial reptiles found in Central Florida. Originally from Central and South America, this herbivorous lizard escaped and established wild populations decades ago and now digs burrows that undermine seawalls, sidewalks, and canal banks throughout much of the state. In February 2021, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted to add 16 high-risk non-native reptile species, including the green iguana, to a prohibited list, meaning these species can only be kept for educational, research, or control and eradication purposes and can no longer be imported, bred commercially, or kept as new pets.
Important Note: In May 2025, FWC commissioners approved rule changes allowing more Floridians to sell wild-caught, invasive green iguanas out-of-state, with those changes to Chapter 68-5 of the Florida Administrative Code becoming effective August 20, 2025. Separate rule changes approved in November 2025 also created practical outdoor caging alternatives for permitted green iguana owners, effective January 7, 2026. Anyone considering keeping or removing an iguana should check current FWC nonnative species regulations before acting.
These sweeping rule changes reflect just how seriously state wildlife managers now treat the iguana problem. Additional background on why Florida regulates so many exotic reptiles this tightly is available through The Wildlife Society’s coverage of the 2021 rule changes.
7. Five-lined Skink
The five-lined skink, Plestiodon fasciatus, is one of Central Florida’s most visually striking native lizards, particularly as a juvenile. This species is famous for its electric blue tail, a feature that makes hatchlings almost glow against dark leaf litter. Juveniles flash this blue color to distract predators, and when threatened, they can shed a detached tail that wriggles on the ground while the lizard escapes.
As five-lined skinks mature, juveniles’ striking blue tail gives way to darker adult bodies with faint striping, making them well camouflaged in forest habitats. Skinks spend most of their time hidden under logs, rocks, and leaf litter rather than basking openly like anoles, which makes them far less commonly seen despite being genuinely abundant. The species also ranges well north of Florida, and readers can find related skink populations covered in the guide to lizards in Tennessee.
Unlike the myth that a blue tail signals venom, five-lined skinks are completely harmless. The bright coloring exists purely to redirect a predator’s first strike toward a body part the lizard can afford to lose.
8. Common Agama
The common agama, Agama agama, has become an increasingly familiar sight on block walls and chain-link fences in parts of Central Florida. Adult males typically display a striking orange to red head paired with a dark blue-black body, while females and juveniles show more subdued brown and tan tones, and the species is active during the day rather than at night.
Common agama is listed among Florida’s invasive species alongside the green iguana, Argentine black-and-white tegu, brown anole, and several house gecko species. Native populations of true agamas are widespread across Africa, and the broader Agamidae family the species belongs to includes many relatives across Asia, a connection explored further in the guide to reptiles in India.
Common agamas are territorial and often seen doing rapid head-bobbing displays while perched on a wall or rock in full sun, a behavior used both to court mates and warn off rival males.
9. Glass Lizard
The eastern glass lizard, Ophisaurus ventralis, might be the most misunderstood reptile on this entire list, largely because it doesn’t look like a lizard at all. This legless lizard species looks like a snake but is very much a lizard, and Central Florida’s dry grasslands and sandy fields provide ideal habitat for it.
Common Mistake: Spotting one in the wild can be startling until you notice the key differences: eyelids, external ears, and a more fragile body. Snakes lack both movable eyelids and visible ear openings, so a closer look at the head is usually enough to confirm you’re looking at a glass lizard rather than a snake.
The “glass” in the name refers to the lizard’s tendency to break its tail into pieces when grabbed, much like true glass shattering. This is the same defensive tactic used by skinks, just taken to an extreme, since glass lizard tails can detach in multiple segments rather than a single clean break. More detail on how this species compares to other unusual native reptiles is available through Wildlife Nomads’ Florida lizard identification guide.
10. Brown Basilisk
The brown basilisk, Basiliscus vittatus, is one of the more dramatic invasive lizards found near Central Florida’s canals, retention ponds, and wetland edges. Males of this brown to olive-brown species reach up to 24 inches in length and carry large, prominent crests on the head and back, while females are smaller with a smaller crest.
The species is widely known as the “Jesus Christ Lizard” for its incredible ability to run short distances across water, and basilisks are large lizards, growing up to over two feet long from head to tail. These lizards are very shy, running quickly away from human approach rather than standing their ground, which makes catching more than a fleeting glimpse a genuine challenge.
Basilisks are native to Latin America, ranging from Central Mexico southward to northern Colombia, and their diet is mostly insects, though they will reportedly feed on berries as well. Readers curious about the species’ native range can find more context in the guide to lizards in Mexico. More background on the basilisk’s Florida establishment is available through Florida’s Nature’s reptile identification guide.
11. House Gecko
Two similar-looking house gecko species share Central Florida’s porches, walls, and ceilings after dark: the tropical house gecko and the Mediterranean house gecko. The tropical house gecko, Hemidactylus mabouia, is a small, pink, nocturnal lizard almost identical to the Mediterranean house gecko, with the main difference being a faint pattern of M-shaped bands running from the neck to the tail rather than the Mediterranean gecko’s speckled pattern.
Tropical house geckos are more prevalent in central and south Florida than in northern Florida, growing about 5 to 7 inches in length and, as nocturnal lizards, coming out at night to feed on insects. Mediterranean house geckos are also common throughout Florida, though they tend to be more prevalent in central and northern Florida, where they are often out-competed by the tropical house gecko.
Both species have adapted almost entirely to human structures. They are also found in people’s homes, where they’re often welcome guests that feed on pests, and they spend most of their time up on walls or ceilings rather than on the ground. Anyone wanting to distinguish between all the gecko species now established statewide should check the dedicated guide to geckos in Florida.
12. Tegu
The Argentine black and white tegu, Salvator merianae, is the largest and most concerning invasive lizard now spreading through parts of Central Florida. These large-bodied lizards, originally from South America, can grow to more than 4.5 feet long, and the species can reach up to five feet in length and live up to 20 years.
Tegus have become established in multiple Florida counties, including parts of Charlotte, Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, and St. Lucie Counties, with rangeland habitats proving especially vulnerable. Tegus are mostly ground-dwelling and specialize in raiding the eggs and nests of ground-nesting birds and reptiles, locating nests using their long, forked tongue to collect scent particles, which threatens the nest survival of species like the northern bobwhite, wild turkey, and gopher tortoise. Full biological detail on the species’ spread is available through the UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center report.
Tegus stay close to the ground, barely climbing a few feet despite being excellent swimmers, and during winter months they retreat into burrows to undergo a form of hibernation called brumation before breeding in spring and producing around 35 eggs per year. Under current state rules, prohibited species like the tegu may only be possessed by permit for educational exhibition, research, or eradication and control activities, and because tegus can establish across Florida, the FWC is not currently looking to expand possession or caging allowances for this prohibited invasive species. Anyone thinking about acquiring an exotic reptile as a pet should review the realities of ownership through the guide to types of pet reptiles before bringing home a species that could end up in the wild.
Central Florida’s lizard population tells two very different stories at once. Native species like the Carolina anole, Florida scrub lizard, five-lined skink, and eastern glass lizard represent millions of years of adaptation to the region’s sand pine scrub and hardwood hammocks, while invasive arrivals from the brown anole to the tegu reflect decades of pet trade releases reshaping the landscape. Learning to tell them apart is the first step toward appreciating which lizards belong in a Central Florida backyard and which ones are simply passing through.