Lizards, for many people, fall somewhere between creepy and fascinating. They’re often colorful and they often have strange characteristics. Most, but not all, lizards are fairly harmless to humans, but, still, they’re not something you want to encounter in your kitchen.

Swipe through to learn about 7 lizards that are native to the U.S.

Greater Short-horned Lizard

While it’s sometimes called a horned toad, this reptile is definitely a lizard. Its flat, wide body is peppered with short horns; it grows to about 5 inches long. Their skin often mimics the soil or environment where they live, and can they be tan, yellow-brown, orange-brown, reddish-brown or gray. Their habitat includes Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico.

Five-lined Skink

Known for the bright blue tail they sport when young, the five-lined skink is the most common lizard in North America. Their white or yellow stripes and their blue tail fade as the skinks mature, growing to 8 inches long. These critters live in woodland areas, often found beneath logs or under tree bark.

Photography: Flickr via Pinterest

Gila Monster

The largest lizards native to the U.S. are gila monsters, measuring up to 22 inches nose to tail. This black and pink desert dweller lives mainly in the Southwest, and it’s the only venomous lizard native to the U.S. Gilas eat small birds, eggs, rodents and rabbits.

Photography: Wikimedia via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license

Eastern Glass Lizard

This oddball lizard has no legs and is commonly mistaken for a snake. It can grow to as long as 43 inches, and, like many lizards, will detach its tail if it’s stepped on or grabbed by a predator. This lizard has a brown body that is splotched with white dots and dashes. It’s commonly found in wet or marshy areas in the Southeast.

Photography: Wikimedia via Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license

Green Anole

Native to the Southeast, the green anole is a tree-dwelling lizard that can change its body color to blend into its surroundings. Males display their brightly colored throat fan as a method of communication. You’ll find these small, harmless lizards in the Southeast U.S. and Texas.

Photography: Ginger Hill via Pinterest

Six-lined Racerunner

This speed demon is typically black, brown or dark green, with six yellow or yellow-green stripes running down its body from head to tail. Six-lined racerunners usually grow to be 6 to 10 inches long, and they can run at 18 miles per hour. They’re typically found in warm, dry areas, where they enjoy snacking on insects such as ants and spiders.

Common Collared Lizard

The male of this species is beautifully colored, with blue-green bodies, yellow stripes on its tail and back, and yellow-orange throats. The common collared lizard can grow as long as 15 inches, and it’s found mainly in dry regions of the south-central U.S. They eat insects, other lizards and snakes.