According to the San Diego Zoo, there are over 4,500 species of lizards. This includes lizards with four legs, two legs and even some with no legs at all! To fill in the gaps, here are 11 fun facts about lizards!
1. Lizards don’t tend to be that picky when choosing a home.
Lizards are found around the world in many different types of terrain. Some can be found living in trees while others may live in deserts among the rocks. The Texas Horned Lizard, for example, can be found in warm areas in Southern North America, while the Northern Fence Lizard can be found in the cool pine forests of North America.
2. Lizards don’t tend to come out at night.
The majority of lizards are active during only the day. Lizards rely on their environment to warm their body as they are cold-blooded animals. They utilize the Sun’s heat to keep their body warm and are only active when their body is warm.
3. Lizards don’t always mix well.
While some lizards can live easily with other lizards of different species, some lizards can be territorial.
4. Lizards can eat all kinds of things.
The majority of lizards eat meat as they are carnivores. Spiders, ants, cicadas and termites are the typical diet of a lizard. They even eat other lizards! Some lizards, however, are omnivores. This means that they eat both meat and vegetation. The Clark’s Spiny Lizard is an example of an omnivore lizard. And finally, there are some lizards that are herbivores and only eat vegetation. An example is the Marine Iguana.
5. Sadly, there are some species seriously under threat.
Frost’s Arboreal Alligator Lizard, Be’er Sheva fringe-fingered lizard and Campbell’s Alligator Lizard are some lizards that are critically endangered.
6. Chameleon tongues are seriously lengthy.
The tongues of chameleons are longer than their bodies, and their eyes are able to look in two different directions at once. Incredible!
7. Some lizards can kill.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the Gila Monster and Mexican Beaded Lizard are both venomous.
8. Some lizards can run on water!
According to National Geographic, the Green Basilisk Lizard can run in the water at 1.5 metres a second. The running feet of these lizards allow them to stay afloat.
9. Some lizard defense mechanisms are amazing!
When they are trying to intimidate an attacker, the round collar of the skin of the Frill Neck Lizards pops up!
10. Komodos are seriously massive lizards.
The largest living species of lizard are located in Indonesia. The Komodo dragon can reach over 90 kg in weight and grow to an enormous 2.6 metres in length!
11. They can also take to the water.
Did you know that some lizards can swim? Marine iguanas in the Galapagos Islands are equally happy in the water as they are on land, and Asian water monitor lizards swim in the sea in their search for food.
FAQs about Lizards
Do lizards make good pets?
Yes - lizards can make very good pets, however, they can take a lot of looking after!
Do lizards like being held?
It depends! Some lizards really don’t like human contact, but others are perfectly happy to be stroked!
Do lizards recognise people?
Yes! Iguanas, for example, are able to recognise their owners in many cases.
Do you know any fun facts about lizards? Share them in the comments below!