trying to identify a lizard

Question
QUESTION: i had some type of lizard[i think] to come inside my house. it was green with a neon orange in the middle of its back. it was short and wide and about 2 ft long. can u help me figure out what it was

ANSWER: Hi Sharon,

There are very few lizards of that size in the U.S and most of those are species known as legless lizards that people assume are snakes. There are also very few green lizards in the U.S. Factor in the orange and that narrows down the possibilities considerably.

The only lizard that I can think of that comes close to your description is the Cuban Knight anole which is an introduced species in Florida. Some have orange/yellow stripes running crossways down their back. They also have a yellow slash of colour on their sides by their front legs. They get about 20 inches including the tail.  
Here's a couple photos of Knight anoles:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23437487@N00/4846713015/

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/vintagecamerafanatic/3683810315/

The only other green lizard that gets that size would be the common green iguana which is another introduced species in Florida. Mature males can develop an overall orange colouration but it is not really "neon" (more rusty) and not in a stripe.

Those are the only choices that come to my mind but if you tell me what state you are in that would help.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: that was not even close to how it looked the wide orange stripe went  strait from the head to tail in the middle of the back and body shape was simular to an alligator but smaller. any idea?

Answer
Hi Sharon,

Well, lol, I love identification questions but you have me stumped on this one. Now I really want to know as well! Please contact me again when you have it figured out. I just can't make the pieces of the puzzle ( 2 feet long, green body with neon orange stripe from head to tail) fit any species. I looked at smaller species, taking into account that people often over-estimate size if they are startled by a reptile, but still could not find a match. I may be missing an introduced (non-native) species or escaped pet but I can't even think of any exotics that fit that description.

From your description of the shape it sounds more like a skink or the species known as alligator lizards. Skinks are all quite small. Many are striped but none are green to my knowledge.   Alligator lizards get over a foot but the colour and markings just don't match. It would be a stretch to describe them as "green". Some reptiles develop colours during breeding season that dissappear at other times of the year but even taking that into account didn't help me.

I still don't know what state you are in. Most states have a website maintained by their natural resources department with photos of native and introduced reptiles. Just googling "reptiles of...." should pull it up for you. Good luck and please keep me posted.