What are lizards?
Lizards are the largest group of reptiles. They are one of the most interesting groups by their characteristics. There are lizards that change colors, run on water, squirt blood out of their eyes and much more. There are lizards that are herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. |
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Geckos
Geckos are mainly small lizards; most are arboreal with sticky feet. Many have fused eyelids like snakes. Also some species can vocalize. They are in the family: Geckonidae.
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Iguanas
This is the largest group of lizards, containing 700 species. They are considered "New World" because they are mostly found on the Americas. They can be terrestrial, arboreal, desert and forest dwelling. Most have long tails, dewlap, crest and have short tongues. Males are usually more brightly colored. There are in the family: Iguanidae, some species are green iguana, swifts, anoles, Curly tails and more. |
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Basilisks
These are long, slender lizard with crests and a sail-like erectable crest that runs down their back. They are arboreal and semi-aquatic. They are in the family Corytophanidae. |
Agamids
Lizards with long tails, and often bizarre forms with crest, dewlaps and expandable appendages. The males are often brightly colored. They are in the family: Agamidae and include Beared dragons, sailfin lizards, water dragons and more. |
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Skinks
A very widespread family, they are found on six continents. They are terrestrial and often borrowers. They have elongated rather circular bodies, little necks, small pointed heads, and short legs. The legs are absent on some species. Their tails vary from short to long and they are generally colorful. They are in the family: Scincidae. |
Chameleons
Their most remarkable characteristic is their ability to change colors. They have highly rigged, compressed bodies, long sticky tongues, they have fused feet and a prehensile tail. They are quite slow moving lizards. They are in the family: Chameleonidae. |
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Tegus and Greaved Lizards
They can be tree dwelling or desert dwelling lizards, some even limbless. They have long tails and platelike heads. They are in the family: Teidae, they include the Jungle runner, six-lined racerunner, and more. |
Monitors
Most are large ground dwelling lizards, all are carnivores. They have a long whip-like tail and a long head with a pointed snout. They are in the family: Varanidae. There is another family of monitors: Lanthonotidae, it consists of one species, the earless monitor. |
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Girdled and Plated Lizards
The subfamily, the Cordylinae (Girdled lizards) have enlarged scales around the body like girdles, and they are typically spiny while the other subfamily, the Gerrhosaurinae (Plated lizards) have a body armor produced by bony plates beneath their scales. They are in the family: Cordylidae, they include the Armidillo lizard, Sudan plated lizard, common sungazer and more. |
Alligator Lizards
They have elongated bodies and long tails that they can shed. The limbs are very slight or often gone, giving them a snake like appearance. However, their moveable eyelids betray them as lizards. They are in the family: Anguidae, they include the Green arboreal alligator lizard, Slowworm/Blindworm and more. |
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Flat Footed Lizards
They have serpentine-like bodies with no front legs and the back legs are nothing more that flaps. They have fused eyelids and an extensible notched tongue. They are in the family: Pygopodidae, they include Common scaly foot lizard and Burton's snake lizard. |
Night Lizards
They have fused eyelids, short tongues that do not protrude, and they are nocturnal. They are in the family: Xantusidae, they include the Granite night lizard, the Yuccan night lizard and more. |
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Gila Monsters and Beaded Lizards
They have a stout body with a broad head, and a short fat tail. They are in the family: Helodermatidae. They are the only 2 species in this family and they are the only venomous lizards in the world. |
Limbless Skinks
They are worm like and limbless, living in loose soil and leaf matter, possibly eating termites. They are in the family: Feylinidae. |
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