Lizards

• Blue-Tongue Skinks are named for their distinctive blue tongues, which they use as a warning signal to predators.
• These reptiles are native to Australia and can also be found in parts of New Guinea and Indonesia.
• Despite their name, Blue-Tongue Skinks are not venomous and are known for their docile nature.
• These fascinating reptiles play important roles in their ecosystems as seed dispersers and predators of pests such as snails and insects.

This species has not been evaluated for the IUCN Red List. They are popular in the pet trade. Australia prohibits commercial exporting of most wildlife, including this species.

• This is the largest lizard species found in Arkansas
• This species is also known as a Mountain Boomer, perhaps because early settlers mistook the sound of wind blowing through canyons.
• Eastern collared lizards are very alert—and very fast! They’re well adapted to running around their rocky habitats and jump among rocks easily. At top speeds, they run using only their back legs!

This species is considered rare by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and has been identified as a species of greatest conservation need by the Wildlife Conservation Strategy group. The biggest concern for this species is habitat degradation. Fire suppression has allowed the slow encroachment of trees (especially cedars) into this species' open, rocky habitat and controlled burns are a likely conservation measure. Other concerns include overzealous collection of specimens for the pet trade.

In a collaborative effort with several state and agencies, the Little Rock Zoo has played a crucial role in the species' conservation.

Through habitat restoration initiatives and successful reintroduction programs, the Zoo has helped bolster Eastern Collared Lizard populations in their native range—the picturesque Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas. Notably, in June of 2023, the Zoo celebrated a milestone with the release of 43 yearling Eastern Collared Lizards, marking the first successful reintroduction program of its kind in the state's history. This remarkable effort underscores the importance of protecting and restoring habitats to ensure the survival of this emblematic Arkansas species. Help to support our efforts by making a donation to collared lizard conservation.

• These lizards are bipedal and can walk on their back legs!
• Frilled Lizards are arboreal, meaning they primarily live in trees, but they can also be found on the ground.
• Despite their fearsome appearance, Frilled Lizards are generally shy and elusive creatures, preferring to flee from danger rather than confront it.
• These lizards are excellent jumpers and can leap several feet into the air to escape predators or catch prey.
• Frilled Lizards are skilled climbers and spend much of their time in trees, where they hunt insects and small vertebrates.

Least Concern. They are harmed by the arrival of the cane toad and seasonal fires, and are highly sought after in the pet trade. They occur in Kakadu National Park. Populations are being monitored to study the impact of aforementioned threats.

• Gila monsters are one of only two venomous lizards in the world. However, this venom is not used to kill prey like a snake might, but as a defensive measure instead.
• Gila monsters can for months go without food. They will rely on fat stored in their tails to sustain them.
• Contrary to popular myth, the Gila monster is unable to jump.

IUCN lists as a near threatened species. It is legally protected in all states where it is found. Gila monsters are often killed due to the fact that they are venomous. They also face threats from habitat loss and fragmentation, predation by feral dogs and cats, and the pet trade. The collection of Gila Monsters is prohibited by law throughout their range. Listed as CITES Appendix II.

• They have long toes on their rear feet with fringes which allows them to walk on water to escape predators.
• They are also called plumed or double-crested basilisk due to the crests on their head and back.

Least Concern. They are threatened by habitat loss, and are a part of the pet trade (although many in the trade are captive bred).

• Iguanas have a parietal eye on their back which serves to regulate solar energy and detect changes in shadows associated with predators.
• The young vary in color from green to brown and can look mottled or banded. As they age they become more consistent in color, however, their coloring is known to change based on their health, mood, temperature, and even social status.
• They also change color throughout the day to aid in thermoregulation. In the mornings when it is cooler they tend to be darker so that they can absorb more sunlight.
• Iguanas have a pendulous dewlap under their throat and a dorsal crest of dermal spines that run down the back. 

No special status. However, populations have dropped due to poaching and the pet trade. They are also farmed for food and leather.

• The prehensile-tailed skink is the largest of all skinks.
• It is the only known species of skink with a grasping, or prehensile, tail.
• Prehensile-Tailed Skinks are also known as monkey-tailed skinks due to their long, muscular tails, which they use for grasping and climbing
• Female Prehensile-Tailed Skinks give birth to live young rather than laying eggs, with litters typically consisting of one to three offspring.
• Both parents help protect their offspring for the first several months. Baby skinks will stay with their family groups indefinitely, until moving on to form their own new family groups.
• Prehensile-Tailed Skinks are important seed dispersers, helping to maintain the diversity of plant species in their habitat.

This species has not been evaluated for the IUCN Red List. They are threatened due to the pet trade and deforestation.