Lizard: Characteristics, Care, Relatives and More

The Lizard is an elusive animal, very agile and with a great presence in any part of the world. The term lizard is the diminutive of “lizard”, and despite its small size and how vulnerable it may seem, the truth is that it is an extraordinary hunter, as well as being preyed upon by many other animals, such as cats and birds. Find out much more below.

Lizard

The lizard

Within the more than four thousand varieties of lizards, it is not difficult to differentiate any specimen. These reptiles belong to the Gekkonidae and Lacertidae families, and the scientific name for the lizard is Podarcis muralis. They are modest lizards distributed around the world, with the exception of Antarctica, which crawl with nervous movements on all kinds of surfaces, in open fields or in homes.

The appearance of the lizard usually seems nice to us, since it does not cause us any harm. This is why there are people who welcome lizards as pets. However, little is known about this reptile. Evasive in nature, it chooses to hide among cracks, brush or stones that come into direct contact with humans.

Main Characteristics of the Lizard

The lizard can live on average about 10 years and measure up to 10 centimeters in length excluding the tail. Its tail is longer than its body and can come off at the end if the lizard feels frightened. Regarding its skin, it is covered with tiny scales, with a greater predominance on the back than on the belly. The colors and shades vary between dark green, light green and brown.

Males and females can be differentiated since the former have dark spots on their backs; while the females show lines that cross the back. To eat, the lizard goes in search of all kind of small or medium insects. From snails to beetles, everything is going well for this carnivorous animal. Its great predatory impulse stands out and its suitability to adapt to almost any area of ​​the world.

Lizard

Another circumstance that enables the lizard to spread easily across the planet is the number of eggs it releases per season. For four months of the year, she will release eggs one to three times. In each clutch, up to a dozen eggs can be counted. The larger its size, the larger the stake amount. Females are usually gregarious during the incubation phase; They truly provide each other with companionship and usually wait for the birth of their young together.

Habitat

This reptile has been able to benefit from the profound alterations that humans have caused in its habitat. It lives related to the trees, in that walls in which there are vines or plants that cover them and in houses with large patios, although due to their vast diversity they can populate in different areas, according to the classification of which they are part.

Food

They are insectivorous creatures, whose food is insects, earthworms, snails, beetles, modest grasshoppers, ants, as well as spiders and slugs according to the class they belong to. A study carried out at the National Museum of Natural History has shown that it preferentially catches flying insects that it approaches stealthily, rapidly moving its tail erect on its back.

defensive habits

The lizard has autotomy as a self-defense mechanism, which consists in shedding its tail when a predator clings to it. The lizards escape to the nearest den when being chased.

Body language

The lizard has its own language. To enter into communication with another member of its species, it practices a succession of particular movements and postures. These actions are carried out to defend the territory from any enemy aggression.

In certain variants of this species, the scales can have a different color, which shows the mood of the animal. Another form of expression is to shed its tail when frightened by a threat or predator. The tail piece goes into motion and is distracting long enough for her to escape; after a week, the tail will grow again.

Classification of Lizards

There are different kinds of lizards, among which are:

  • common lizard
  • Batueca Lizard
  • Cinderella Lizard
  • Red-tailed Lizard
  • Bocage lizard
  • Peat bog lizard
  • Crested Lizard
  • Forest Crest Lizard
  • Litter Lizard
  • Long-tailed Tree Lizard

Environmental Benefit of the Lizard

This category of reptile is welcome wherever it occurs. The reason for this is its power to stabilize ecosystems by becoming an essential link in the food chain. The lizard is the one who is in charge of exterminating, for example, with the plagues that lie in wait for the world's crops: snails, locusts, and all kinds of insects that occupy the crops. Also in urban areas the lizard prevents the spread of mosquitoes, flies, spiders, beetles or worms of any kind.

How does the lizard take advantage of the sun?

Sunbathing gives this cold-blooded creature great pleasure. After a long sleep in his hiding place, on the first hot days he seeks the warmth of sunlight on his scales. At the same time, these solar baths give the lizard the opportunity to patiently scrutinize every millimeter of the space that surrounds it. Sunlight is nutritious or replenishes energy for the lizard, which awaits the arrival of insects into the world

The tongue of the lizard has powerful sensory qualities that, together with its visual acuity, endow it with hunting qualities of great value. In a state of rest, with its belly throbbing and the rest of its body static, the lizard can stay that way for hours. But these hours of rest are not wasted by this modest reptile: it will be permanently on the prowl. Every time it recharges solar energy, it is ready to go to satisfy the hunger of the entire winter season.

Curiosities 

Studies done on lizards have shown that a male has several females and that they live associated with a tree. The larger the tree, the more females there will be. It is a single male, who will be vigorously defending all that territory with very determined head movement maneuvers and will not hesitate to nip other males that try to occupy his territory.

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