The bearded dragon (Pogona vitticeps) is a lizard that even a novice terrariumist can keep. Nature has endowed this creature with an amazing appearance and sufficient unpretentiousness for living at home. The bearded dragon is native to the Australian continent. At one time, the Australian authorities very strictly controlled the export of representatives of the local fauna, but nevertheless, relatives of the agama found their way beyond the mainland and began to successfully breed in other territories that were quite suitable for their living conditions. The bearded agama is amazing not only for its appearance, but also for its name directly associated with it. The Latin word Pogona in translation just means the presence of a beard, and vitticeps has an even more bizarre meaning - “headband made of bulbs.” So the Latin name of the lizard refers to the presence of leathery spines around the ears, on the head and throat of the agama. These spikes imitate a beard. Because of this feature, the British even nicknamed the agama a bearded dragon - central bearded dragon. And another unique ability of the bearded dragon is to change color when the lizard is scared or worried. In this state, the bearded dragon becomes lighter in color and its paws take on a bright yellow or orange hue. The color of a lizard can also change depending on the ambient temperature.

Agama tree

Already from the name of the tree agamas of the species Agama atricollis it is clear that nature has probably adapted these lizards to an arboreal lifestyle. And above all, she gave them a patronizing connotation. Try to spot a tree agama in the lush greenery of an African tropical forest - you are unlikely to succeed. Its variable brownish, olive or green body easily blends with foliage or tree bark, and its elongated shape can resemble anything - a protruding branch, a growth on a trunk, or a piece of the same bark. The sharp claws of the tree agama help it deftly move through the trees. But there are also atypical representatives of Agama atricollis, for example, with a bright blue head. By the way, such lizards are also excellent camouflages. Despite their mistrust and not the easiest taming, they like to keep tree agamas in terrariums. True, this is only possible if they are provided with suitable conditions - temperature, humidity, food. Tree agamas are quite capricious creatures and can easily wither away if something in the environment is “not to their liking,” that is, not to their health. And don’t expect devotion and affection from the lizard; it is not easy to make contact and at first may be afraid of its owners, and after getting used to it, ignore it.

Bengal monitor lizard

The Bengal monitor lizard (Varanus bengalensis) is a reptile that has a body size of up to 2 meters, as a rule, on average it does not exceed 170 cm. These animals slender body and a narrow, noticeably pointed head in front. Their tail is of moderate length, laterally compressed and has a low double keel along its upper edge. The body of monitor lizards is dark olive in color, covered on top with numerous specks and round spots. yellow color. They are transverse rows. Adult representatives of this species are uniformly colored yellow, brownish-olive or brownish-gray, on which faint dark spots remain.

Cape monitor lizard

The Cape monitor lizard is also called the Bosca monitor lizard or the steppe monitor lizard (lat.Varanus exanthematicus) is a species of reptile from the monitor lizard family. This name of this species is erroneous, since this animal does not live in the Cape Mountains, but since it was first brought to Europe and described from South Africa, this name has stuck to it to this day.
Subspecies of this lizard are not distinguished. However, some herpetologists in their works provide a description of 4 subspecies, based on their habitat, but almost all taxonomists have recognized them as invalid, and consider the species to be integral.
These animals as adults have a body length with a tail of 80–110 cm and up to 2 meters. Their body is atypical for monitor lizards, as it is quite heavy, but it fully corresponds to the life activity that the animal leads. That is, it is aimed at endurance of the body and saving vital energy, and not at climbing trees and diving in water.
Cape monitor lizards have a short body and muzzle; it has obliquely set nostrils, shaped like slits, located very close to the eyes. These animals have short fingers with very large claws. The lizard's body is covered with small scales, the tail is laterally compressed and has a double ridge on the upper edge. The color of these reptiles is gray-brown with yellow stripes and spots. The underside of the monitor lizard's body is lighter than the back, the throat is yellowish-white, and the tail has brown and yellow rings.

Komodo dragon

The Komodo dragon gets its name from its habitat on the small island of Komodo in eastern Indonesia, where it was described as a separate species in 1912. These reptiles have remained virtually unchanged over the past 2 million years. They take their origin from ancient snakes, having inherited a poisonous gland from them.
Komodo dragons are the largest reptiles on Earth. Their sizes can reach up to 3 meters in length and weigh 150 kg. Wild monitor lizards are significantly smaller in size than their relatives kept in captivity.
Juveniles of the described species are quite brightly colored. On top they are a beautiful light chestnut color, which smoothly turns into green-yellow on the nape and neck, and carrot-orange on the shoulders and back. According to these colors, reddish-orange spots and rings are located in transverse rows on the animal’s body, which can merge on the neck and tail into solid stripes. Over time, the coloring of monitor lizards changes to a uniform dark brown color, which can sometimes have dirty yellow specks.

Monitor lizard of the Nile

The Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) is another of the huge number of lizards.
These animals can reach up to 2 meters in length, although such individuals are very rare. As a rule, the body size of a monitor lizard is 1.7 meters, of which 1 meter is the tail. In reptiles of this species, the tail is flattened on the sides and is equipped with a longitudinal keel (ridge) on top. There are no longitudinal rows of wide scales above the eyes on the head, the nostrils are round and set closer to the anterior edge of the eye. The teeth of monitor lizards are cone-shaped in front and have blunt crowns in the back.
The body color of lizards is a dark yellowish-green, against which there is a beautiful pattern of irregular transverse stripes formed by small yellow specks and spots. Between the shoulders and groin there are horseshoe-shaped yellow spots, and in front of the shoulders there is a black semicircular stripe. The color of the tail in its lower part is yellow with transverse stripes, and the first part of the tail has yellow-green rings.

Striped monitor lizard

The striped monitor lizard (Varanus salvator) is a species of animal that belongs to the class of reptiles. It has many names, depending on where it is distributed. On the island of Bali, striped monitor lizards are called "Alyu", and on the island of Flores - "Weti". In other areas of Malaysia and Indonesia, these animals are called "Biawak air" by the local population. In Thailand they are called nothing more than “Khiah”, but the term “Tua-nguyen-tua-tong” is more often used. In Sri Lanka, striped monitor lizards are called "Karabaragoya", while in Bengal they are called "Ram godhika", "Pani godhi" or "Pani goisap". In the Philippines, these monitor lizards are called "Halo", but the most commonly used name is "Bayawak".

Gray monitor lizard

The gray monitor lizard (Varanus griseus) is a representative of the suborder of lizards of the reptile class. The size of an adult animal, including its tail, can reach a length of 150 cm and a weight of up to 3.5 kg. The body of this animal is massive, equipped with strong legs with curved claws on the toes. Like most monitor lizards, the gray monitor lizard has a very strong and long rounded tail. The color of the scales blends into the surrounding background, which is good remedy for shelter from enemies and for catching prey, because not every animal is able to recognize the grayish-brown body of an animal with a reddish tint, which is hidden on the steppe plain. The lizard has dark spots and dots scattered throughout its body, and almost parallel stripes of the same color run across its back and tail. On the head of the reptile there are curved nostrils that open near the eyes. This anatomical structure will make it easier for the animal to explore burrows, since the nostrils are not clogged with sand. The gray monitor lizard is strong and long; the mouth contains sharp, slightly curved teeth that help hold the prey. Throughout the life of the animal, they are erased and replaced with new ones.

Madagascar day gecko

Among the representatives of the tropical fauna there are a lot of truly beautiful animals, often surprisingly colored. bright colors. Perhaps this is explained by the fact that the nature of the tropics itself is distinguished by a riot of colors. For example, in tropical latitudes there are exotic birds painted in incredible shades, as well as exotic lizards, one of which will be discussed in this article. The Madagascar day gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis) deserves to be known not only to herpetologists and avid terrarium keepers. Although among lovers of exotic reptiles he is rightly called a veteran of terrariums. What makes the Madagascar day gecko so unusual? First of all, it is the bright color of the body. Moreover, the colors that nature gave to this lizard are unlikely to find analogues among the shades artificially created by man. The Madagascar day gecko's body is a rich velvet green contrasted with large bright red spots along its back. Moreover different representatives species can have variable colors, for example, being green-blue with several small red splashes or pure green with a red stripe on the back. The Madagascar gecko is named a diurnal gecko in accordance with the circadian rhythms of its life. The lizard, as the name implies, lives only in Madagascar and belongs to the felsum genus endemic to this island. By the way, one of the most common and largest subspecies of the Madagascar day gecko is called the magnificent Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis for its amazing appearance.

Madagascar gecko

The Madagascar flat-tailed gecko, along with the common gecko, is one of the celebrities of the tropical fauna because of its amazing appearance. It has the unique feature of changing body color depending on the surrounding temperature and lighting. In the sun, the Madagascar gecko is deep green, but in the shade it can easily turn olive, brown, or even lose its greenery and put on a gray outfit. In bright sunlight, the lizard's body takes on a lemon tint, but if you look at it against the light, the gecko is already aquamarine with a deep tail. blue color. This lizard is named flat-tailed for its tail, which is wide and flattened at the top and bottom with jagged edges. And although the flat-tailed gecko is also classified as a Madagascar species, its habitat is not limited only to this island. Broad-tailed lizards are also found in the Seychelles and Hawaii, although scientists believe that the reptiles were introduced there, while Madagascar is their natural homeland. Madagascar flat-tailed geckos are smaller in size than common day geckos, but otherwise they have similar characteristics. Which ones exactly – read in the relevant sections. And of course, these lizards, like day geckos, are popular “exhibits” of terrarium collections. But in order for the flat-tailed gecko to always be vigorous, healthy and bright, it is especially necessary to maintain a suitable level of moisture in the environment. But for ordinary day geckos this is not the most important indicator.

Lizards are the largest group of reptiles. In everyday life, lizards are often referred to as all reptiles with legs (excluding turtles and crocodiles), but in the scientific community this title is borne mainly by representatives of the family of true lizards and several other species. These will be discussed in this article, and other related species - skinks, geckos, agamas, iguanas, monitor lizards - will be considered separately.

Pearl or Ornamented Lizard (Lacerta lepida).

True lizards are mostly small to medium sized. Most major representative family - the pearl lizard - reaches a length of 80 cm, other species usually do not exceed 20-40 cm, one of the smallest are numerous foot-and-mouth lizards, their length including the tail is no more than 10 cm. Distinctive feature real lizards have movable eyelids (the main difference from snakes, in which the eyelids are fused), an elongated, thin body with a long tail and medium-sized paws. In desert species, the paws have long fingers with lateral teeth, which allows the lizard not to fall into quicksand. Another one interesting feature lizards have the ability to autotomy (self-mutilation). Of course, lizards do not mutilate themselves without reason, but in case of danger, they can, by contracting their muscles, break the spine in the tail part and throw off the tail. The tail continues to wriggle and distract the enemy's attention; over time, the lizard grows a new tail.

The tail always breaks in the same “programmed” place; if the growth point is disturbed, then the lizard can grow two tails.

The coloring of real lizards is always a combination of several colors, usually green, brown and gray. Desert species have a yellowish color, exactly imitating the texture of sand. At the same time, many species have bright areas of the body (throat, abdomen, spots on the sides) colored blue, azure, yellow, and red. Lizards have weakly expressed sexual dimorphism: males are slightly larger than females and brighter in color (although the pattern is the same in both sexes), the pattern of young individuals is different from adults. Lizards are voiceless and do not make any sounds with the exception of the Stechlin and Simon lizards Canary Islands, these species squeak in moments of danger.

Pushing, or common lizard(Lacerta agilis).

True lizards live only in the Old World - Europe, Asia and Africa. In southern Asia, islands Indian Ocean and Madagascar does not have them. Several species have been introduced to North America, where they successfully settled in the western United States. The habitats of lizards are varied; they can be seen in meadows, steppes, deserts and semi-deserts, forests, gardens, bush thickets, mountains, on river banks and cliffs. Lizards stay on the ground or climb low bushes, grass stems and tree trunks. All species are capable of moving along vertical surfaces, clinging to cracks in the bark and uneven ground, but mountain views have achieved particular perfection in this. Rock lizards and species close to them can run along bare sheer rocks and jump from a height of 3-4 m.

The long tail not only does not interfere with the lizard, but also helps it maneuver between the stems of grass.

These animals are diurnal and only representatives of the family of nocturnal lizards (close to real ones) are active mainly at night. In any case, lizards prefer to go hunting in the morning and at sunset; at noon they are less active. Lizards live alone and adhere to permanent habitats. They live in burrows, cracks in the soil, bark, and crevices between stones. These are very active and cautious animals; they usually sit and look around the surroundings; when they see suspicious movement, they freeze for a short time, and when an enemy approaches, they take to their heels. They run very quickly, alternately rearranging all their limbs; some desert species can run several meters on their hind legs or bury themselves in the sand. In addition, in deserts, lizards are often forced to raise their legs one at a time to avoid burns from the hot sand.

The reticulated foot-and-mouth disease (Eremias grammica) lives in deserts; its long toes help it move along the sand.

Lizards feed almost exclusively on invertebrates; only the largest individuals can catch a small rodent, snake, or eat bird nesting. Typically, lizards hunt insects and spiders, and they catch fairly mobile species (butterflies, locusts, grasshoppers, etc.), less often they eat snails, slugs, and worms. Special devices These animals do not have a sticky tongue or poison for hunting. The lizards first sneak up on the prey, and then with a sharp throw they overtake and catch it with their mouths; when eating, they first chew and crush the hard wings of insects, tear off inedible parts, and then swallow. Some species from time to time eat the fruits of plants (prickly pear, cherries, sweet cherries, grapes, viburnum).

Stehlini's lizard (Gallotia stehlini) eats prickly pear fruits.

Small species reproduce several times per season, large ones - once a year. The breeding season occurs in spring-early summer and depends on the habitat (the further north the habitat, the later mating season). The males look out for the female and chase her at a run. If two males meet each other, they approach their opponent sideways, trying to appear larger. The smaller one gives up and gives in; if the rivals are equal in size, then they begin to bite, and their fights are fierce and often accompanied by bloodshed. The winner most often grabs the female by the abdomen near the hind legs and mates with her. The mating ritual of the three-lined lizard is rather strange: the male grabs the female by the back of her body, lifts her above the ground so that she rests on the ground only with her front paws, and begins to run with the female in his mouth. In rock lizards and other mountain species, the sex ratio is sharply disturbed, the proportion of males in the population is 0-5%, so females lay eggs without fertilization. This method of reproduction is called parthenogenesis.

The female lays from 2-4 (in small species) to 18 (in large species) eggs. The eggs are buried in the soil forest floor, hiding in holes, under stones. Incubation time depends on temperature environment and type, it lasts from 3 weeks to 1.5 months. Parents do not care about clutches and offspring. Young lizards immediately after hatching begin to independent life and are able to obtain food themselves. Viviparous lizards give birth to live young after 3 months of pregnancy; in the north of the range, embryos can occasionally even overwinter in the mother’s body, and in the extreme south of the range the same species lays eggs. The lifespan of lizards usually does not exceed 3-5 years.

Viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara, or Zootoca vivipara).

In nature there are many enemies of these animals. They are hunted by snakes, storks, cranes, kingfishers, crows, shrikes, small falcons, and hoopoes. For protection, lizards use different ways: fast running with sharp unexpected turns, burying in sand or forest floor, freezing (a hidden lizard cannot be thrown from a bush), simple camouflage (a lizard, for example, can hide with reverse side tree trunk, furtively watching the pursuer). When a lizard is caught, it throws off its tail or bites; holding this nimble animal in your hands is not so easy. But numerous mountain species of lizards (rock, Armenian, etc.) when caught, sometimes grab themselves by the hind leg and curl up in a ring. This pose is not accidental, because the main enemy of these species is snakes, which always swallow prey from the head, but a snake cannot swallow such a living ring.

Lizards do not harm people, but they do provide benefits. These animals destroy harmful insects and are themselves an integral link in the food chain. A number of species with a very narrow range are listed in the Red Book; their numbers are negatively affected by plowing and fires.

• Lizards (Lacertilia, formerly Sauria) are a suborder of the squamate order. The suborder of lizards includes all those species that do not belong to the other two suborders of squamates and two-year-olds.

• Lizards are widespread throughout the world. They are found on all continents except Antarctica.

• These are usually small animals with well-developed limbs.

• About 3800 known modern species lizards, which are grouped into 20 families.

• The smallest species of lizard, the round-toed lizard from the West Indies, is only 33 mm long and weighs about 1 g, and the largest is the Komodos lizard from Indonesia, which, weighing 135 kg, can reach 3 m in length.

• Despite the widespread belief that many lizards are venomous, there are only two such species - the escorpion from Mexico and the related vein from the southwestern United States.

• Most lizards are predators.

• Species of small and medium size feed mainly on various:,.

• Large predatory lizards (tegus, monitor lizards) attack small vertebrates: other lizards, snakes, and small mammals, and also eat the eggs of birds and.

• The Moloch lizard eats only.

• Some large agamidae, iguanas and skink lizards are completely or almost completely herbivorous. Such species eat leaves, young shoots, fruits and flowers.

• In addition to insects, Madagascar day geckos willingly eat nectar and pollen from flowers and the pulp of juicy ripe ones.

• Lizards have lived on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. The oldest fossil lizard, called the Lizzie lizard, lived approximately 340 million years ago. She was found in Scotland in March 1988.

• Some extinct species of lizards were enormous in size. A species of lizard such as Megalania, which lived in Australia about 1 million years ago, reached a length of about 6 m.

• The humerus and femur bones of lizards are located parallel to the surface of the earth. Therefore, when moving, the body sags and touches the ground with its back part - a reptile, which gave the name to the class - Reptiles.

• The eyes of most lizards are protected by movable, opaque eyelids. They also have a transparent nictitating membrane - a third eyelid, with which the surface of the eye is moistened.

• Gecko lizards do not have eyelids, so they are forced to periodically wet a special transparent membrane over their eyes with their tongue.

• In the depression behind the eyes is the eardrum, which is followed in the bones of the skull by the middle and inner ear. The lizard hears very well. The organ of touch and taste is a long, thin tongue, forked at the end, which the lizard often sticks out of its mouth.

• The scaly cover of the body protects against water loss and mechanical damage, but interferes with growth and therefore the lizard molts several times during the summer, shedding its skin in parts.

• What UNIQUELY distinguishes all lizards from snakes? If we talk about limbs, which snakes do not have, then there are also legless lizards. Most lizards have visible openings to the external auditory canal, which snakes do not have; lizard eyes are usually equipped with movable separate eyelids, while in snakes the eyelids are fused to form clear “lenses” over the eyes. However, some lizards lack these signs. It is therefore safer to focus on the features of the internal structure. For example, all lizards, even legless ones, retain at least rudiments of the sternum and shoulder girdle (the skeletal support of the forelimbs); In snakes, both are completely absent.

• Diurnal lizards have color vision - a rarity in the animal world.

• Many species of lizards are capable of throwing off part of their tail (autotomy). The lizard has a lot of enemies, but only its nimble legs and tail can protect it, which it can part with after assessing the extent of the danger. The enemy sees the wriggling tail, this distracts his attention, but the animal has not been around for a long time. If a person grabs the tail, the tail remains in his fingers. In a number of species capable of autotomy, the tail is very brightly colored, and the lizard itself is much more modest in color, which allows it to quickly hide. After some time, the tail is restored, but in a shortened form. During autotomy, special muscles compress the blood vessels in the tail, and almost no bleeding occurs.

• A lizard without a tail is no longer so fast and nimble; it may lose the ability to reproduce; it climbs and runs poorly due to the lack of a “rudder.” In many lizards, the tail serves to store fat and nutrients, which means that all their energy is concentrated in the tail. After it is torn off, the animal may die from exhaustion. Therefore, a saved lizard often tries to find its tail and eat it in order to restore lost strength. There is no complete regeneration. The new tail is always worse than the original one. He has poor flexibility, shorter length and his movements are not as dexterous.

• Sometimes the lizard's tail is not completely torn off and is gradually restored. But the separation plane is damaged, which gives impetus to the formation of a new tail. This is how a lizard with two tails appears.

• In many climbing forms, such as geckos, anoles and some skinks, the lower surface of the fingers is expanded into a pad covered with setae - hair-like branched outgrowths of the outer layer of the skin. These bristles catch on the slightest irregularities in the substrate, which allows the animal to move along a vertical surface and even upside down.

• Most often, lizards live in pairs. For the winter and at night they hide in burrows, under stones and in other places.

• Most lizards lay eggs. Lizard eggs have a thin leathery shell, less often, as a rule, in geckos - a calcareous, dense shell. U various types the number of eggs can vary from 1-2 to several dozen.

• They always lay eggs in the most secluded places - in cracks, under snags, etc.

• Some geckos glue eggs to tree trunks and branches, and on rocks.

• As a rule, after laying eggs, lizards do not return to them.

• Only a few species, for example, female yellowbellies, protect the clutch and look after it, and after the appearance of young yellowbellies they continue to protect them and even feed them.

• A minority of lizards are ovoviviparous. Their eggs, devoid of a dense shell, develop inside the mother’s body, and the cubs are born alive, freeing themselves from the thin film that covers them in the oviducts or immediately after birth.

• True viviparity has been established only in the American night lizards Xanthusia and in some skinks.

• Viviparity during reproduction is usually associated with harsh living conditions, for example, living in the far north or high in the mountains.

• The largest lizard was the monitor lizard, exhibited in 1937 at the St. Louis Zoo, Missouri, USA. Its length was 3.10 m, and its weight was 166 kg.

• The longest lizard is the thin-bodied Salvador monitor lizard, or musk deer (Varanus salvadorii), from Papua New Guinea. It is precisely measured to reach a length of 4.75 m, but approximately 70% of its total length is in the tail.

• The fastest lizard is the iguana. The highest speed of movement on land - 34.9 km/h - was recorded in the black iguana (Ctenosaura), living in Costa Rica.

• The longest living is the brittle lizard. A male brittle lizard (Anguis fragilis) lived at the Zoological Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark, for over 54 years, from 1892 to 1946.

• The toad lizard belongs to the family of iguanas that live in the deserts of America. Therefore, the color of lizards is either sand or stone, so that it is easy to camouflage. Toad-like lizards live on open area, over the years of existence they have developed many methods of defense. First of all, they will try to freeze in place, hoping that the camouflage coloration will hide them from the predator, then they will jerk. If it is not possible to hide, the lizard begins to attack, first it will stretch out on its paws and swell up like a toad, this is where its name comes from, its size increases by 2 times, but if this does not scare off the enemy, the lizard goes to extreme measures: it shoots bleeding from the eyes, aiming for the predator's face. Its blood contains poisonous and toxic substances, which forces the predator to retreat.

• Lizard two-headed short-tailed skink

Lizards.

Lizards and snakes form the order Squamate (the body of these reptiles is covered with small scales).
There is such a variety of lizards in nature that for simplicity we can say that “lizards” are all scaly ones, except snakes.

Paleontologists have found the remains of the oldest herbivorous lizard in Japan. The age of the discovered jaw and fragments of its skull is 130 million years! The lizard reached 25-30 cm in length.

Most lizards are predators. In nature, small and medium-sized lizards feed mainly on various insects, worms, and small vertebrates. Larger lizards eat larger prey - fish, amphibians, snakes or other lizards, birds and their eggs, and various mammals.

By the way, lizards, even as they age, retain their teeth, which fall out and are replaced by new ones throughout their lives.

Reproduction of lizards.

Most lizards lay eggs. Lizard eggs usually have a thin, leathery shell. The number of eggs in different species can vary from 1-2 to several dozen. Females always lay eggs in the most secluded places - in cracks, under snags, etc. As a rule, after laying eggs, lizards do not return to them.

The smallest of the lizards is the round-toed gecko from India, only 33 mm long and weighing about 1 gram.

And the largest is the Komodo dragon from Indonesia, which can reach 3 m in length and weigh 135 kg.

Despite the widespread belief that many lizards are poisonous, there are only two such species and they live in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Their poison is dangerous to humans, but non-lethal. On the picture - POISON TOOTH HOUSING.

The scales of lizards can be both small and large; they can be located close to each other (like tiles) or overlapping (like tiles). Sometimes they are transformed into spines or ridges. All lizards molt periodically, shedding their outer layer of skin.

The limbs of lizards are designed differently, depending on the lifestyle of the species and the surface of the substrate on which it usually moves.

In many climbing forms, such as anoles, geckos and some skinks, the lower surface of the fingers is expanded into a pad covered with setae - branched hair-like outgrowths of the outer layer of the skin. These bristles catch on the slightest irregularities in the substrate, which allows the animal to move along a vertical surface and even upside down.

There are lizards that are completely legless! Only a specialist can distinguish such a lizard from a snake - they have different skeletal structures. So, if you encounter an unfamiliar legless scaly creature, it’s better to play it safe and don’t pick up the “lizard” in case it turns out to be a real snake!

Lizards are attacked by almost all animals that can grab and defeat them. These are snakes predator birds, mammals and humans. Lizards have several methods of protecting themselves from predators. If you get too close to some lizards, they will take on a threatening pose. For example, the Australian frilled lizard suddenly opens its mouth and raises a wide, bright collar formed by a fold of skin on its neck. Helps! Obviously, the effect of surprise plays a role in scaring off enemies.

MOLOH looks very inedible - a bizarre-looking lizard that lives in sandy deserts in the south and west of Australia.

AGAMA FLYING DRAGON is capable of gliding, running away from a predator, spreading the leathery folds along the sides of the body, like a flying squirrel, supported by long false ribs.

LATEST NEWS!

University of Michigan zoologists have penetrated the main secret of lizards
A precise answer has been given to the intriguing question: why do these nimble creatures cast off their tails? Previously, everyone thought that in this way reptiles pay off predators, throw them a distracting piece of meat in the hope of saving everything else.

Now it turns out that by unfastening their tail, lizards protect themselves from snake bites. Research took place in Greece. On islands infested with vipers, scientists have counted many more tailless lizards than in places where there are no snakes. Long-term observations have shown that the deliberate loss of part of the flesh does not bring salvation in fights with birds and animals, but is unusually effective against snakes. In case of a bite, the poison from the tail does not spread throughout the body.

Until the body recovers, the lizard suffers many inconveniences: it is difficult to move, growth slows down. But most importantly, relatives look with disdain and refuse to continue the family line with the disabled person.

Lizards- suborder scaly reptiles, the largest group of modern reptiles, currently numbering more than 3,500 species, grouped into 20 families and almost 350 genera. Lizards can be found on all continents except Antarctica. and each of them is characterized by certain groups of these animals. In Europe these are real lizards, in Asia - agamas and some geckos, in Africa - belt-tailed lizards, and in Australia - monitor lizards and scale-tailed lizards.

The greatest species diversity of lizards is in tropical and subtropical zones Lands, in countries with temperate climate there are fewer of them, and only one species reaches the Arctic Circle - the viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivi-raga). Lizards inhabit a wide variety of biotopes on our planet - from arid deserts to tropical rain forests and subalpine meadows, descend into the deepest gorges and climb mountains to a height of up to 5 thousand m above sea level, to the zone of eternal snow.

Most lizards live on the surface of the earth, but many of them penetrate into its thickness (many skinks) or rush upward into the crowns of trees (many agamas and geckos). And lizards like flying Dragon(Draco volans) or the lobe-tailed gecko (Ptycho-zoon kuhli), are trying again to do what was already done by reptiles many millions of years ago - to master the airspace. The sea element is also no stranger to lizards - marine iguanas (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) live on the Galapagos Islands, swimming and diving beautifully. seaweed which they feed on.

Appearance lizards are so diverse that it is difficult to name any characteristic feature. Moreover, lizards have so many common features with snakes, that sometimes even a specialist finds it difficult to distinguish them. It’s not for nothing that lizards and snakes are only suborders of the same order. Thus, representatives of 7 families of lizards in in full force or partially deprived of legs; in our country these are the spindletail (Anguis fragilis) and the yellowbell (Ophisaurus apodus).

Holo-eyes, like snakes, have fused and transparent eyelids; many lizards have barely noticeable (or even completely absent) ear openings and, finally, have poisonous lizards- poisonous teeth that live in the USA and Mexico. Many lizards have a very bizarre appearance due to the presence of various skin outgrowths and folds in the form of ridges, bumps and horns. As an example, just remember the Australian lizard - Moloch horridus, absolutely harmless, but with a terrifying appearance.

The coloring of many lizards is variegated and varied, and in some species it can vary depending on the physiological state. There are such lizards in our country. Thus, the color of the steppe agama (Tgarelus sanguinolenta) becomes brighter when high temperatures or during mating tournaments - at this time the males develop a characteristic blue “beard”. However, most lizards have camouflage coloring, making them invisible against the surrounding background.

For example, lizards that live in the desert are often colored yellow, gray or brown, and green tropical forest- in bright green. The appearance of lizards is closely related to their lifestyle. Tree species have tenacious claws and tails or special pads on their toes that allow them to stay on branches in the most unimaginable positions.

Thanks to such pads, covered with numerous microscopic hooks, some geckos can even stick to glass. Such are the leks (Gecko gekko), the Madagascar day geckos (Phelsuma) and many other geckos. Lizards that lead a burrowing lifestyle have reduced or absent limbs and a serpentine body. These characteristics are most clearly expressed in worm-like lizards of the genus Dibamus, common in Indochina, the Indo-Australian and Philippine islands and New Guinea.

Most lizards move very quickly, but I especially want to note the American cnemidophores (Cnemidophorus), which walk on their hind legs using their tail to maintain balance. For their speed of movement, these lizards received a second name - runner lizards. But the Australian frilled agama (Chlamydosaurus kingi) is not inferior to them in terms of speed of movement. A helmed basilisk(Basiliscus plumifrons) from Central America, reaching a length of 80 cm, moves on its hind legs with such speed that it can run not only on land, but also on water.

Many lizards can make certain sounds. Some of them hiss like snakes (for example, monitor lizards). Others make more varied sounds. These are, first of all, geckos. They make squeaks, clicks, chirps and the like, using not only their tongue, but also the friction of the scales on their tail. The skink gecko (Tegatoscincus scincus), living in the Central Asian republics of our country, has such a “musical” tail.

The largest modern lizard is considered to be the giant Indonesian monitor lizard (Varanus komodoensis) from Komodo Island, which reaches a length of 3 m and weighs up to 120 kg. And the smallest lizard, not exceeding 4 cm in length, is the South American gecko - Spherodactylus elegans.

Lizard nutrition

Most lizards are predators. The size of the prey depends on the size of the lizards themselves. Small and medium-sized lizards feed mainly on various insects, spiders, worms, mollusks and small vertebrates. Larger lizards eat larger prey - fish, amphibians, other lizards and snakes, birds and their eggs, and various mammals.

Fewer lizards are herbivorous. However (just as was noted in the essay about turtles), many lizards, eating mainly plant foods, willingly add food of animal origin to their “menu” and, conversely, predators - plant food.

Moreover, in most herbivorous lizards, the young initially feed on insects and only over time switch to the food of their parents. Food specialization among lizards is relatively rare, but nevertheless it occurs, and this must be taken into account. Thus, the feeding of marine iguanas predominantly on one type of algae is of exclusively theoretical and general educational interest, and the narrow food specialization of some roundheads on ants or termites may also be of practical interest to us.

Lizard Reproduction

The reproduction of lizards (as well as turtles) is not particularly diverse. During the breeding season, which in countries with a temperate climate and a clearly defined change of seasons occurs in the spring, and in tropical regions can be completely acyclical, male lizards organize mating tournaments and court females, after which they mate with them. Most lizards lay eggs.

Typically, eggs have a thin, leathery shell, less often (mainly in geckos) a dense, calcareous shell. The number of eggs varies among different species and can range from 1-2 to several dozen. The female lays eggs one or several times during the year, in a wide variety of, but always secluded places - in holes, cracks, under stones and snags, in tree hollows, etc.

Some geckos glue eggs to tree trunks and branches, in rocky outcrops, etc. In most cases, after laying eggs, lizards do not return to them. Only a few of them take care of their offspring. Among our lizards this is the yellow-bellied lizard (Ohisaurus apodus). Females of this species not only guard the clutch, but also look after it - periodically turning it over and cleaning it of debris.

Even for some time after the young yellowbellies hatch, the females continue to protect them and even give up food.
One of the forms of caring for offspring may include the ability of some lizards to delay the laying of eggs, waiting for the onset of conditions favorable for this. Thus, in the sand lizard, eggs can linger in the oviducts for 20 days. In others, for example, in the viviparous lizard (Lacerta vivipara), until hatching. These are different stages of the same process - ovoviviparity. But in some species of lizards (most often these are skinks) there is also a true viviparity, when the fibrous shell of the egg is reduced and part of the oviduct comes into contact with the chorion - that is, a semblance of a placenta is formed, with the help of which the embryo is nourished at the expense of the mother’s body.

One of the reasons that causes viviparity is the cold climate, so the percentage of viviparous species increases as you move north and into the mountains. It is interesting that even lizards of the same species, depending on the altitude above sea level, can either lay eggs or give birth to live young. For example, Tibetan roundheads lay eggs at an altitude of 2 thousand m above sea level, and are viviparous at an altitude of 4 thousand m.

Concluding the conversation about the reproductive biology of lizards, it is advisable to mention the so-called parthenogenetic reproduction, characteristic of some of them. Moreover, the species, as a rule, does not have males as such; females lay unfertilized eggs, from which, nevertheless, completely normal young ones hatch.

Parthenogenetic lizards in our country include the Armenian lizard (Lacerta armeniaca), white-bellied lizard (L. unisexualis), Dahl's lizard (L. dah1y) and Rostombekov's lizard (L. rostombekovi).

Lifespan of lizards. For many small species it is short, only 2-5 years, and sometimes even 1 year. But large lizards, primarily monitor lizards, can live in captivity for up to 50-70 years.