This is a subordinate male rainbow lizard from a Miami population.
The northeastern South American country of Colombia was once the predominant shipper of neotropical wildlife to the United States. Birds of all manner (cock-of-the-rocks to parrots), mammals (wooly monkeys to ocelots to anteaters), amphibians (remember the Colombia horned frog?), reptiles (boas to red-footed tortoises, to rainbow lizards).

Rainbow lizards?

So, How Does One Accurately Describe a Rainbow Lizard?

Well, if I chose to try, describing the little 8-striped (the vertebrals strip is divided!) brownish and greenish female would not be awfully difficult. But to describe the blue, yellow, green, brown (and several hues between) of a dominant male could prove to be a chore and would probably wind up being inaccurate anyways. So, to make things easy, allow me to suggest that you determine the origin of the example in question. As it now stands the lizards making up what is currently known as Cnemidophorus lemniscatus are probably a species complex. They will differ in color and pattern at different locales. Color intensity also varies according to the status of the male within a given population. Dominant males are much more colorful than subordinate males.

So have at it. At least you’ll be more satisfied with your description of the example at hand. That’s a certainty! Oh, by the way, the lizards depicted here are from a Miami-Dade County population that probably contains genes from several Colombian origins.

Rainbow lizards, a teiid, are adult at 10-12 inches in total length. Although the primary diet is insects and other invertebrates these lizards also eat seeds, berries, and blossoms.

This is an adult female dusky ameiva in Miami.Until very recently this big lizard (to 22-24” total length, of which all but about 8” is tail length) was considered a dark (dusky) phase of the green and tan giant ameiva. A few years ago a closer look was finally taken at this impressive Central and South American teiid and it was found that rather than A. ameiva, it is actually Ameiva praesignis. At that time a common name of Borriguerro Ameiva, a long standing South American name, was suggested. However, since this lizard has long been known as the "dusky ameiva” in the USA, I suggest that this name be retained. Like the giant ameiva, the original examples in the Florida populations were shipped for the pet trade from Barranquilla, Colombia in the 1950s. Agile and fast, some escaped and were able to establish themselves in the benign climate of South Florida.

When the genus name of Ameiva is used as a common name, it is not italicized. Like other teiids (tegus and relatives) this lizard is usually active only on sunny days when it often remains active through the warmest hours. This alert and wary lizard will quickly dart into areas of dense ground cover or a home burrow if approached. Although omnivorous, this big lizard is primarily insectivorous and will dig insects from beneath the surface of the ground. Besides insects they consume all manner of small invertebrates as well as berries and other vegetation. Captives will accept pinky mice, and there is no reason to believe that those in the wild would not eat nestling mice or nestlings of ground nesting songbirds.

If kept captive this ameiva should be provided a spacious terrarium. I suggest they be provided with a brightly lit hot spot having a temperature of 110-120F. A thermal gradient having a temperature of 75F on the cool end should be provided.

A robust build and a length of 16-17 inches (including the long tail) is a typical size for an adult giant ameiva.
For well over a half century Ameivas, the large, economy size of the whiptail/racerunner clan if you prefer, have been prominent in the hobbyist reptile trade. Of the 3 dozen or so species in the genus, 2 are by far the most commonly encountered. These are the giant and the dusky ameivas. For decades the two were considered diverse color phases of the giant ameiva, Ameiva ameiva, but they are now known to be 2 entirely separate species (but more on this later). Firstly, let’s take a look at the big, very pretty, and quite common “green phase” of the giant ameiva. In fact, although the amount of green may vary, the green phase is currently the only phase of this 15 to 20 inch long teiid lizard. Despite the color reference in its name, this neotropical lizard is not entirely green. It is olive-tan anteriorly, olive-lime posteriorly, sky blue in the groin, pale blue to sky blue on the lower sides fading to bluish white ventrally. Trying to describe the positioning of the black flecks and off-white ocelli would be an exercise in futility. It is far better (and much easier) if I simply refer you to the photos.

Like most teiids, ameivas (please note that when used as a common name the word is not italicized) are sun worshippers and can often be seen basking in full sunshine during the hottest part of the day. The examples on which the Miami population is based originated (or at least were shipped) from Barranquilla, Colombia in the 1950s. They are wary lizards and if startled will quickly retire to areas of ground vegetation or a home burrow. Omnivores, in the wild this lizard actively forages during the heat of the day, often scratching insects from beneath the surface of the ground. Besides insects this ameiva consumes all manner of small invertebrates as well as berries and other vegetation. Captives will accept pinky mice, and there is no reason to believe that those in the wild would not eat nestling mice or nestlings of ground nesting songbirds.

I have noticed that some care sheets mention a hot spot of 90F for these lizards. I submit that a brightly lit hot spot of 110-120F would be more appropriate, with the terrarium providing a a thermal gradient to a temperature of 75F on the cool end.

The Concho water snake is a protected species.Although the two occur in different and non-contiguous drainages, the Concho water snake, (formerly Nerodia harteri paucimaculata, now Nerodia paucimaculata) is of very similar appearance to the Brazos water snake. N. harteri. As he had with the latter, Kenny had researched the locales and the probabilities of our finding and photographing the Concho water snake.

Like the Brazos water snake, the Concho has been considered federally threatened since the late 1900s and is primarily a snake of natural and man-made rocky riffles. It has adapted to a few areas of rock-edged quieter waters in reservoirs.

Rather small for an American water snake, the Concho is adult at 24 to 30 inches in length. The sandy dorsal ground color and 4 rows of poorly defined dusky darker blotches blends well with the substrate color on which this snake is found. The belly, usually immaculate but sometimes with a row of indistinct dark spots along each side, is of pink or orangish color.

We searched, we found, we departed. Other herp taxa of Texas still beckoned.

A hatchling loggerhead musk turtle.
Carl called across the river “Remember, they look like acorns.”

What, I wondered was he going on about now?

Then it dawned on me. We were only a few minutes from docking and Carl was likening the hatchling loggerhead musk turtles, Sternotherus m. minor, for which we were then searching to a submerged acorn. Well, it’s true that they are darn near small enough, and when the roughened carapace is muddied by the perpetually silted water in which we were then searching the tiny turtles are almost acorn colored. So as far as it went his comment was a fair analogy. But turn one upside down and you’ll find 4 black spotted olive-tan legs, and a similarly colored head, neck, and tail, protruding from a very unacornlike, flat, rich orange-red, cross-shaped, plastron.

Finally, just before docking the canoes, Carl saw one of the acorns. And just about at the same time I happened upon an adult, which, by the way, looks nothing at all like an acorn and is much duller in color than the hatchling, but is still enjoyable to find. Give it a try sometime. The search can be a whole lot more fulfilling than sitting home and taking a selfie!

This was one of 2 gravid female frosted flatwoods salamander we saw.
When we left at 1500 hrs, the forecast called for 3-5" of rain in Liberty County. Remnants of the super hurricane, Patricia, heavy rains were forecast to begin at 4:00PM and continue for about 24 hours. The forecast erred. Badly! At first it had sounded like good salamander weather but by the time we got there (6:30 PM) we were wondering? Although it was obvious that it had rained a little, the clouds were breaking up and it was partially sunny. Not salamander weather at all.

Jake and I wondered aloud whether we should remain or return home, but on a whim, decided to head for the coast 20 miles distant. At 7:00PM we were treated to a sprinkle that encouraged us to stay. At 7:30PM we hit a rather widespread and significant shower. Perhaps not all was lost. The road dampened, road edge puddles formed.

At 7:45PM we found an ornate chorus frog, at 7:50PM the first flatwoods salamander crossed, at 7:55PM we found 2 more crossing flatwoods and another ornate chorus. By the time we left, 10:00PM, it had stopped raining again and we had seen 12 of the protected flatwoods salamanders (incl 2 gravid females), 3 more ornates, and a couple of dwarf salamanders. It had turned into a darn good nite.