Lizards first emerged from the water millions of years ago, and have evolved and diversified into many weird and wonderful groups varying in shapes and sizes. There are around 3,800 species of lizards, which inhabit all the continents of the planet except for Antarctica. They are known as ‘Lepidosauria a reptile’, which means that they are reptiles with overlapping scales. Whilst this puts them in the same family as snakes, they look very different as lizards typically have limbs, tails and ears.
Lizards are typically short-legged creatures often dragging their belly along the floor. Their stout bodies are almost cylindrical in shape. Size of lizards varies hugely between species. Some lizards are only a few centimetres long, whilst Komodo dragons, the world’s largest living lizard, grow up to three metres long. Lizards have thick tails and the tail is the longest portion of the lizard making up sometimes 50 per cent of its body.
The tail is also part of the defence mechanism often associated with lizards. They can detach their tales to escape from predators then they can be grown back. This is known as "autonomy”, but isn’t shared by all the species of lizards.
Coloration is typically brown or black, mottled with pale yellows or orange but many lizards use bright colours to deter possible predators or in some cases to attract possible female partners.
Many lizards have a flattened head, with a blunt snout. There is often a distinctive fold of skin across throat. They have a large mouth with very powerful jaw muscles. They have approximately 20 per jaw. The largest teeth, which have the deepest grooves, are found on lower jaw. Teeth are replaced throughout life.
Some lizards have exceptionally long tongues that they use to catch insect prey by flicking their sticky tongue out. Like snakes, some species of lizard use their tongues to smell the air to seek out their prey.
Lizards are typically short-legged creatures often dragging their belly along the floor. Their stout bodies are almost cylindrical in shape. Size of lizards varies hugely between species. Some lizards are only a few centimetres long, whilst Komodo dragons, the world’s largest living lizard, grow up to three metres long. Lizards have thick tails and the tail is the longest portion of the lizard making up sometimes 50 per cent of its body.
The tail is also part of the defence mechanism often associated with lizards. They can detach their tales to escape from predators then they can be grown back. This is known as "autonomy”, but isn’t shared by all the species of lizards.
Coloration is typically brown or black, mottled with pale yellows or orange but many lizards use bright colours to deter possible predators or in some cases to attract possible female partners.
Many lizards have a flattened head, with a blunt snout. There is often a distinctive fold of skin across throat. They have a large mouth with very powerful jaw muscles. They have approximately 20 per jaw. The largest teeth, which have the deepest grooves, are found on lower jaw. Teeth are replaced throughout life.
Some lizards have exceptionally long tongues that they use to catch insect prey by flicking their sticky tongue out. Like snakes, some species of lizard use their tongues to smell the air to seek out their prey.
