Alice White
There are many different types of lizards in the world – beautiful and not very, dangerous and harmless. For some, these cold-blooded creatures evoke sympathy and tenderness, for others – an irrational fear. In any case, one cannot agree that lizards are truly amazing creatures and in many respects unlike all other inhabitants of the Earth.
- The first lizards appeared on Earth several hundred million years ago. They are roughly the same age as crocodiles.
- Basilisks (not mythical, but quite real) can walk on water – more precisely, run. These lizards move their hind legs so quickly and step so horizontally that the film on the water surface does not have time to break through under their weight.
- Moloch is interesting for several of its features at once – it collects dew and raindrops with the entire surface of the body, and does not drink in the usual sense of the word. Then droplets of liquid through special tubules go straight to the moloch in the mouth. In addition, these reptiles are able to change their color depending on temperature, lighting, and condition.
- Geckos are able to hold on their legs a weight that significantly exceeds their own – a lizard weighing 50 grams is able to hold a two-kilogram object. During a drought, representatives of this species are able to accumulate moisture from the air before their eyes, and then lick it off so as not to die of thirst.
- Lizards live on all continents and islands of the world, with the exception of Antarctica.
- The lizard Cnemidophorus neomexicanus is a completely female species that do not need fertilization to produce offspring. These reptiles are one of the most striking examples of parthenogenesis, or “virgin reproduction”.
- In case of danger, many types of lizards can throw off part of their tail to hide from the enemy. If the enemy has retreated, the lizard can return and eat its tail, as it contains a lot of nutrients. Over time, the tail grows back, but it will be shorter than the lost one.
- Small girdle-tailed lizards in the event of an attack bite themselves on the tail with all their might, forming a ring that cannot be opened.
- Lizards see the world around them in orange tones due to the structural features of the retina. Note that most animals see the world in black and white.
- The largest of the currently existing lizards is the Komodo dragon, whose weight can reach 80 kilograms, and the length exceeds 3 meters.
- In the Galapagos Islands, marine iguanas successfully mate with land iguanas, although these animals belong to different genera and species. Their offspring are quite viable, hybrids feel equally good both in water and on land. However, these individuals cannot reproduce.
- Some toad-like lizards, finding themselves in a hopeless situation, can shoot at the enemy with their own blood. Blood is thrown out of the corners of the animal’s eyes at a distance of up to one and a half meters.
- Skink lizards live in New Guinea, whose blood, entrails, and skeleton are green.
- The smallest lizards on Earth are the round-footed geckos found in the West Indies. These babies weigh only one gram, and their body length is on average 33 millimeters.
- There are only two poisonous lizards on our planet – the escorpion terrifies the inhabitants of Mexico, and the habitation is a potential threat to the population of the southwestern United States.
- The organ of touch in lizards is the tongue.
- Most lizards never return to laid eggs and do not consider it necessary to protect their offspring.
