CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Wait until you hear about this amazing find!
Experts said there was a rare sighting Friday in one of Will County's forest preserves. A lizard that does not have legs. It's called a "slender glass lizard."
The glass lizard was caught on camera Friday by Juliann Rose Bud in the 1,200-acre Kankakee Sands preservation system in Will County. The photo was posted to the Will County Wildlife Facebook group.
According to Forest Preserve District of Will County, when District staff came upon one a few years ago, also in the Kankakee Sands preservation system, it was described as a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those crews.
"I have always wanted to catch a glimpse of one of these, but I just haven’t been lucky enough," said interpretive naturalist Erin Ward, who has led guided hikes through the area, in a statement. "It is rarely encountered by humans, making this a super cool find."
According to Forest Preserve District of Will County, the species isn't listed as a state threatened species, but it is on the species in greatest need of concern list in the Illinois Wildlife Action Plan due to its rare populations and vulnerable habitats. Due to this, the District is not disclosing the specific preserve it was found in.
Glass lizards can be anywhere from two to four feet long and are particularly skittish, which decreases the chances of encountering one. They're fairly unique, as you'd guess from the name.
Ward said that, unless you were to get real close to one, you’d think the creature was a snake, because it has no legs and grows to about 33 inches long. She said about two-thirds of the lizard is tail.
"They have very long tails and the tail can break off very easily," Ward said, in a statement. "The tail can fracture into many pieces if broken, giving it the 'glass lizard' name. When the tail grows back or regenerates, it is always shorter than the original tail and ends in a very sharp point."
According to The Nature Conservancy, most glass lizards anyone encounters probably already have lost part of their tail. The photo didn't show the back end on this one, so it's anyone's guess as to whether it was fully intact, the Forest Preserve District of Will County said.
Ward said there are some key differences between a glass lizard and a snake. A big difference between the lizard and a snake is a snake cannot blink, but a slender glass lizard can. She said a snake's "eyes are actual scales over their eyes. Slender glass lizards - they have eyelids. So, if you observe them, if you can get close enough to one and not scare it away, you'll be able to see it blink."
Glass lizards have moveable eyelids and external ear openings and, unlike a snake, cannot unhinge its jaws. As a result, it has to go for smaller prey, such as small vertebrates, spiders, beetles and crickets.