Lizard

For the lizard man other uses, see Lizard (disambiguation).

Lizards are reptiles of the order Squamata, which they share with tribal pet lizard types lizard the snakes (Ophidians). They are usually four-legged, with external ear openings and movable eyelids. Species range in adult length from a few centimeters (some Caribbean geckos) to nearly three meters sale lizard boots (Komodo dragons).

Some lizard species called "glass snakes" or "glass lizards" have no functional legs, though there are some vestigial skeletal leg structures. They are distinguished from true snakes by the presence of eyelids and ears.

Many lizards can change color in response to their environments or in times of stress. The most familiar example is the chameleon, but more subtle color changes occur in other lizard species as well (most notably the anole, also known as the "house yellow spotted lizard chameleon" or "chamele").

Lizards typically feed on insects or rodents. A few species are omnivorous or herbivorous; a familiar example of the latter is the iguana, which is unable to properly digest animal protein. Only two lizard species are venomous: the Mexican beaded lizard and the closely-related Gila monster, both of which live in northern Mexico and the southwest United States. Neither of these poses much danger to humans, lizard food as their poison is introduced slowly by chewing, rather than injected as with poisonous snakes.

Most other lizard species are utterly harmless to humans (most species native to North America, for example, are incapable even of drawing blood with their bites). Only the very largest lizard species pose any threat lizard man at all; the Komodo dragon, for example, has been lizard art known to attack and kill humans and their livestock. The chief impact of lizards blue lizard sunscreen on humans is positive; they are significant predators of pest species; numerous species armadillo lizard are prominent in the pet trade; some are eaten as food (for example, iguanas in Central America); frilled neck lizard and lizard symbology plays lizard skin lizard eggs lizard people lizard tattoos gallery important, though rarely predominant roles in lizard graphics some cultures (e.g. Tarrotarro in Australian mythology).

Most lizards lay eggs, though a few species are capable of live birth. Many are also capable of regeneration of lost limbs or tails. A brief courtship gecko lizard and mating season occurs between mid-May and early-June. Twenty days after breeding, the female will lay from 2-21 creamy-white leathery lizard island eggs in a burrow beneath a large rock. The young hatch 2-3 months later, averaging 3-4 inches in length.

Lizards western fence lizard in the Scincomorpha family, which include skinks (such as the blue-tailed skink), often have shiny, iridescent scales that appear moist. However, like all other lizards, they are dry-skinned and generally prefer to avoid water fence lizard (though all lizards are able to swim if needed).

Classification

Suborder Sauria (Lacertilia) - (Lizards)

• Infraorder Iguania
  
  
  
  • Family Agamidae (agamas)
    
  • Family Chamaeleonidae green lizard (chameleons)
    
  • Family Corytophanidae (casquehead lizards)
    
  • Family Crotaphytidae (collared and leopard lizards) blue tongued lizard
    
  • Family collared lizard Hoplocercidae (wood lizards, clubtails)
    
  • Family Iguanidae (iguanas and spinytail iguanas) cuban lizard
    
  • Family Leiocephalidae (see Tropidurinae)
    
  • Family Leiosauridae lizard (see Polychrotinae)
    
  • Family broken lizard Liolaemidae (see Tropidurinae)
    
  • Family monitor lizard Opluridae (Madagascar iguanids)
    
  • Family Phrynosomatidae (earless, spiny, tree, side-blotched and horned lizards)
    
  • Family Polychrotidae (anoles) lizard tattoos
    
  • Family Tropiduridae (neotropical ground lizard pictures lizards)
  
  
• Infraorder Gekkota
  
  
  
  • Family Gekkonidae (geckos)
    
  • Family Pygopodidae (legless lizards)
    
  • Family Dibamidae (blind lizards)
  
  
• Infraorder Scincomorpha
  
  
  
  • Family green anole lizard Scincidae (skinks)
    
  • Family Lacertidae (wall lizards or true lizards)
    
  • Family Teiidae (tegus and whiptails)
    
  • Family Cordylidae (spinytail lizards)
    
  • Family Gerrhosauridae (plated lizards)
    
  • Family Gymnophthalmidae (spectacled lizards)
    
  • Family Xantusiidae (night lizards)
  
  
• Infraorder basilisk blue lizard lizard Diploglossa celebration of the lizard
  
  
  
  • Family Anguidae (glass lizards)
    
  • Family Anniellidae (American legless lizards)
    
  • Family Xenosauridae (knob-scaled lizards)
  
  
• Infraorder Platynota (Varanoidea)
  
  
  
  • Family Varanidae winking lizard (monitor lizards)
    
  • Family nile monitor lizard tattoo lizard gecko lizard king Lanthanotidae (earless monitor blue tailed lizard geico lizard lizards)
    
  • Family Helodermatidae (gila monsters)

References

• Anthony Herrel's lizard australian frilled lizard page
  
• The EMBL reptile database
  
• Tiny gecko - the 'world's smallest' lizard