Reptiles in Ontario

[Mattitude]

My first post in a while here, but I thought this was pretty cool. My girlfriend and I went out kayaking today at a secluded, no residences of any kind 1 road in same road out Muskoka lake today. We decided to do some fishing and caught a couple decent smallies but no pics only because I thought that would be asking for trouble bringing my camera in the kayak.

I was paddling along a rock face when something caught my eye. At first I thought it was a salamander but it was moving too quick to be that, as i got closer I realized it was a lizard, a 5 lined skink as I found out when I got home and looked it up on the internet. Looked exactly like the one here. Crazy blue tail and all http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUGaNPKIIHw. I had no idea that we had actual lizards in Ontario let alone Central Ontario.

[OhioFisherman]

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Eumeces_fasciatus.html

 

cool, strange what you can run into wandering about.

[Jer]

We had one visit our campsite at Crotch Lake a couple years ago...

 

[siwash]

Reminds me of the billions of lizards I see when I visit family back in the old country (Italy). They are so common there. Like seeing flies here... people treat them like pest there because they can get into homes.

[BillsTheBassMan]

That's awesome Matt. To me, seeing different wildlife really adds to making fishing trips more exciting. People have no idea what kind of animals are out there - just minutes away from urban centres. It's great. Thanks for sharing.

[ehg]

Interesting! Recently had a girlfriend tell me that these lizards are quite rampant in her parents backyard in King City, just north of Toronto. Haven't seen one yet personally but eventually i hope too. Here is a write up on them includes a clickable map of range according to the MNR.

http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/glfc-amphibians/eumeces-fasciatus

[alexcba]

Interesting! Recently had a girlfriend tell me that these lizards are quite rampant in her parents backyard in King City, just north of Toronto. Haven't seen one yet personally but eventually i hope too. Here is a write up on them includes a clickable map of range according to the MNR.

http://cfs.nrcan.gc....meces-fasciatus

 

my best friends sister lives up in king. mosquito's and lizards rule supreme.

[Dave Bailey]

I had no idea that we had actual lizards in Ontario let alone Central Ontario.

 

Good sighting! The five-lined skink is the only lizard found in Ontario, and it's range is limited. They occur in the extreme southwest, I've seen them regularly at Point Pelee, and in central Ontario, where I've seen them at Petroglyphs PP. But there doesn't seem to be a connecting population from one area to the other.

[Musky or Specks]

Yup we had one as a regular visitor at our campsite(#215) in Masassauga PP when my son and I camped there for two weeks when he was 11. That is when I too found out we had lizards in Ontario.

[camillj]

Come to think of it ... nexT time I am at the ZEC I need to make a point of getting some pictures of the beautiful yellow and black salamanders (which I used to see so commonly in my youth) ... but now only rarely see.

 

This spring there were at least a half a dozen within spitting distance of the dock !

Edited July 15, 2010 by camillj

[basketclam]

5 Lined Skinks are a species at risk in Ontario. The local MNR biologist will be interested in hearing a report of the sighting (date, time, location, etc)

 

http://nhic.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/species/species_report.cfm

[Guest Johnny Bass]

What a coincidence! I seen my first lizard last week climbing up a cliff wall! My friend said it was a salamander but moved way too quick! So it WAS a lizard! First I have ever seen in Ontario.

[siwash]

Interesting! Recently had a girlfriend tell me that these lizards are quite rampant in her parents backyard in King City, just north of Toronto. Haven't seen one yet personally but eventually i hope too. Here is a write up on them includes a clickable map of range according to the MNR.

http://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/subsite/glfc-amphibians/eumeces-fasciatus

 

 

King City? you sure about that? It's not on their range map - maybe they're seeing salamanders

[Mattitude]

What a coincidence! I seen my first lizard last week climbing up a cliff wall! My friend said it was a salamander but moved way too quick! So it WAS a lizard! First I have ever seen in Ontario.

Yeah that's what I thought but figured salamanders would not hang out on a hot rock and plus this thing was jumping around as well. Quite a cool experience!

[ehg]

King City? you sure about that? It's not on their range map - maybe they're seeing salamanders

Talked to the homeowner thinking it was salamanders but he said they were fast and striped.

Showed him pictures of the skink and he confirmed they were the same.

Have to report this to MNR once i see one there.