Lizard standing on the sand.

lizards

Scaly skins
Type
lizard

Reptiles

Area
All continents except Antarctica
All continents except Antarctica
Endangered Status

Some Endangered

facts

size
.6 inches to
10 feet, in length
depending on species
Lizard sizes compared to a bed.
food
meat, plants
omnivore

Some are predators, eating mammals, birds, and other reptiles. Others are mainly vegetarian, eating leaves, fruits, and flowers.

habitat
most habitats
except tundra
Globe

Most lizards live on the ground, but others can be found making their home in a tree, in a burrow, or in the water.

description

A lizard with dinosour like features.

Dino-reptiles

Lizards first appeared on Earth more than 250 million years ago. They are reptiles, and are most closely related to snakes. In fact, some lizards, called sheltopusiks, look like snakes because they have no legs! Many lizards today resemble the ancient reptiles of the dinosaur era.

A lizard sticking its tounge out

Like and unlike snakes

In general, lizards have a small head, short neck, and long body and tail. Unlike snakes, most lizards have moveable eyelids. But like snakes, a lizard sticks out its tongue to catch scent particles in the air and then pulls back its tongue and places those particles on the roof of its mouth, where there are special sensory cells. The lizard can use these scent “clues” to find food or a mate, or to detect predators.

A lizard shedding.

Comfy in new skin

Lizards have dry, scaly skin that does not grow with their bodies. Instead, most lizards shed, or molt, their old skin in large flakes to make way for the new skin growth underneath. The exception to this is with the alligator lizard, which may shed its skin in one piece, like a snake. The scales on lizards vary, depending on their habitat. Skinks have smooth scales so mud won’t cling to them; some lizard species have bony plates, called osteoderms, under their scales for added protection against rough terrain.

Lizard camoflauging in the sand.

Staying safe

Lizards are popular prey for many types of predators, from birds of prey to snakes and carnivorous mammals. Their camouflage and ability to stay still for hours helps keep them safe. Several types of lizards are able to escape from a predator by breaking off part of their own tail. If a predator grabs the lizard by its tail, the tail easily comes off. It can grow back over time, although the tail won’t look quite the same. Still, it’s better than being someone else’s dinner!

Red-headed agama on a rock.

Hues of attraction

Male lizards use a variety of methods to attract a female's attention. They bob their head vigorously, or display their brightest colors or best features. The green anole lizard inflates a rust-colored throat sac, called a dewlap, to win over the lady of his choice, sometimes keeping up this display for hours. Red-headed agamas are African lizards with brown skin—but when the male needs to make sure others see him, his head turns fiery red and his body and tail change to a bright, shiny blue.

Quiz

True or False: Lizards shed skin in exactly the same way as a snake.
True
False

Quiz

True or False: Female lizards fiercely guard their eggs until they are hatched.
True
False