​LIZARDS
Reptile   -     Vertebrate   -    Omnivore

TUATARA LIZARD

BLUE COLLARED LIZARD

LIZARDS

There are more than 5,600 species of lizard.

• Komodo Dragon is the largest lizard.
• Found on every continent except Antarctica.
• Are cold-blooded, reptiles.
• There are only two poisonous lizards in the world - the Gila Monster and the Mexican Beaded Lizard.  Both live in South West North America.
• Love to bask in the sun, which means that they are often vulnerable to predators.
• Some can change their colour.
• Some can release their tails when grasped.
• Have good eyesight.
• Rely heavily on body language, using posture, gestures and movements.
• Eat bugs, insects, plants - some will scavenge carcasses of large animals.
• The abandoned tail will wriggle to confuse the predator.
• Some have no legs.
• Use their tongues as sense organs.
• The Thorny Devil Lizard from Australia drinks water through its feet.
• Cannot breathe and walk at the same time.
• The largest lizard in Australia can run as fast as Usain Bolt.

Chameleons

• A Chameleons tongue is twice the length of its body.
• Can look in two different directions at the same time.
• Have poor hearing.
• There are 160 different species.
• Change colour from brown to green, but some can turn almost any colour.
• Changing colour helps the Chameleon get near to its prey without being seen.  It also helps to hide it from its enemies.
• Become darker when it's colder in order to absorb heat.

Iguanas

• The Marine Iguana can hold its breath for 15 minutes.
• The spiny-tailed Iguana of Costa Rica is believed to be the world's fastest reptile at 21.7 miles per hour.
• Are able to detect the temperature of sand to within 2 degrees F.  This temperature is needed for the Iguana to lay its eggs.
• An Iguana can stay underwater for about 28 minutes.

Skinks

• Look like lizards, but most have no visual neck and small legs.
• Most species are terrestrial (burrowing or tea-climbing).
• Predators are foxes, crows, cats, dogs, herons, hawks, possums and racoons
• Feed on flies, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles, caterpillars, earthworms, millipedes, snails and slugs.
• The Solomon Island Skink lives in the trees, feeding on leaves, flowers, fruits and shoots.
• The Solomon Island Skink has a prehensile tail (like a monkey).

Tuatara Lizard​

• The New Zealand Tuatara Lizard has two eyes in the centre of its head, and a third one on the top of its head.
• Looks like a lizard, yet croaks like a frog.
• Can go for an hour without taking a breath.
• Does not reach maturity until it is 20 years old.
• Continues to grow until it is 50 years old.
• Can live up to 300 years.

Found only on offshore New Zealand islands. 

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Visit:  Lizards  .  COLLECTIVE NOUNS

Huge Lizard Mammal That Walked With Dinosaurs Found

A humongous lizard mammal that lived alongside the dinosaurs over 200 million years ago has been discovered in Poland.
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The herbivorous creature, named Lisowicia bojani, was about 40 percent bigger than any other species of its kind, measuring 4.5 meters in length, 2.6 meters in height and weighing approximately nine tons. This is roughly equivalent to a the size of an elephant.

IGUANA LIZARD

LIZARD SHEDDING ITS SKIN

TUATARA LIZARD

BLUE CAMELEON LIZARD

CHAMELEON LIZARD

CHAMELEON LIZARD