Lizards: all species names and their descriptions. All types of domestic lizards: names, descriptions and photos What types of lizards are there

(reptiles). They belong to the order Scaly and differ from snakes only in the presence of paws and movable eyelids. Lizards also have good hearing and specific molting. Today there are about 5,000 species of reptiles in the world. Some of them can shed their tail.

General characteristics of lizards

Among the huge variety of tailed reptiles, you can find a wide variety of species, differing in color, habitat, size, significance (some are listed in the Red Book). Basically, reptiles grow up to 10-40 cm. They have separated eyelids, have an elastic, elongated body and a long tail. Lizards have proportional, medium-length paws, and their entire skin is covered with keratinized scales. All reptile species have tongues that are unique in shape, color, and size. The organ is quite mobile, easily stretched and used to catch prey.

Lizards have a fairly well-developed jaw; their teeth help to capture, tear and grind food.

Domestic reptile species

This group contains lizards that live at home and participate in various exhibitions and other events.

At home, reptiles often get sick and are subject to stress. They require careful and special care. Chameleons are distinguished by their inimitable beauty in appearance. Individuals are capable of changing color. At the beginning of their life, the body has a greenish-light green tint, which is later diluted with wide stripes. The change in color of a reptile depends on its mood and status.

Three-horned chameleon

The pet can also change its color. The second name for the chameleon is “Jackson's lizard.” A peculiarity of the reptile is the presence of three horns, the longest and thickest of which is the central one. Lizards have a strong tail and can move deftly through trees.

Common spiketail

On the outer side of the reptile's tail there are spike-like processes. Lizards can grow up to 75 cm, so in some cases keeping them in the house is very difficult and even impractical. If the spiketail is frightened, it can attack and even bite.

Australian agama

Water-loving lizards have tenacious claws and long limbs, thanks to which they deftly climb trees. The animals grow up to 800 g, they are very careful and dive and swim with ease.

Panther chameleon

This type of lizard is considered one of the cutest and largest. Various colors depend on the habitat. Animals can have scales of blue, red-green, gray-yellow, light green and other colors. Quite often, reptiles curl their tails into a kind of donut. They feed on insects and can live up to 5 years at home.

Fantastic gecko

The most skillful camouflage plant that blends perfectly with the background of the leaves. Lizards have a flat tail, uneven body and brownish, rough scales. This is one of the most suitable reptiles for keeping at home.

frilled lizard

The reptile closely resembles a small dragon. A large fold of skin located on the neck may swell and change color. To enhance the effect, the animal stands on its hind legs. The individual has a gray-brown or bright red body with light and dark spots.

Leopard gecko

A cute lizard with yellow and white scales with spots like a leopard. The abdomen of reptiles is white, the body can reach 25 cm in length. Caring for a lizard at home is quite simple.

Eyelash banana gecko

The owner of a long body, an ideal camouflage. This rare species of reptile is distinguished by its unique “cilia” (skin extensions located above the eye sockets). The animal loves bananas, mangoes, and other fruits.

Green iguana

One of the large, massive and agile lizards, which has small horns on the top of its head. The weight of the animal can reach 9 kg. The iguana has a wide crest on its back. To keep a lizard at home you will need a very large area.

Fire skink

A lizard that is mistaken for a snake. The reptile has a wide body and short legs, which are practically invisible, which is why it seems that the skink is crawling and not walking on the ground. The length of the lizard reaches 35 cm.

Blue tongue skink

A similar species of lizard that has a long, light blue tongue. The animal grows up to 50 cm and has smooth scales.

Black and white tegu

An impressive size reptile, growing up to 1.3 meters. The diurnal predator feeds on rodents, slowly killing its prey. The lizard has large eyes, a pale pink tongue and short limbs.

Water dragon

An amazing lizard that regenerates both limbs and gills. Reptiles come in pink, purple, gray and other colors. The water dragon looks like a fish with sharp teeth that allow it to hold its prey.

Wild reptiles

Among the lizards living in the wild are:

Fast lizard

The fast lizard comes in gray, green and brown colors and can throw off its tail. Small animals are very dexterous and quick, and can eat their own offspring.

Proboscis anole

The proboscis anole is a rare species of nocturnal lizard that resembles a crocodile due to its long, elephant-like nose. Reptiles are light green or brown-green in color.

Worm-like lizard

Worm-shaped lizard - a reptile similar to an earthworm; there are no limbs on the animal’s body. It crawls along the ground, its eyes hidden under the skin.

Komodo dragon

The Komodo dragon is the largest reptile, reaching a mass of 60 kg and a length of 2.5 meters. The lizard's bite is poisonous and can lead to dire consequences.

Tree agama

The tree agama is a lizard that climbs trees thanks to its sharp claws and tenacious paws. The body of reptiles is gray or olive in color, the tail is yellow-gray.

Gecko currents

The current gecko is a lizard with a strong body that is covered with gray and blue scales. Individuals grow up to 30 cm, feed on insects and small vertebrate animals.

Bengal monitor

The Bengal monitor lizard is a massive and slender animal of gray-olive color, growing up to 1.5 meters in length. The lizard can swim and dive for 15 minutes.

Agama Mwanza

Agama Mwanza is a gregarious lizard with a long tail and an unusual color: half of the body is covered with blue scales, the other with pink or orange.

Moloch

Moloch is a specialist in camouflage. The lizard has a brown or sand-colored body that can change color depending on the weather.

Ring-tailed iguana

Ring-tailed iguana - features of the lizard are a long tail, light scales with dark stripes, thick scales on the face that resemble horns.

Other notable lizard species include the marine iguana, Arizona adobe, lobe-tailed gecko, spindle-tailed skink and monkey-tailed skink.

A lizard is an animal that belongs to the class reptiles (reptiles), order Squamate, suborder lizards. In Latin, the suborder of lizards is called Lacertilia, previously the name was Sauria.

The reptile got its name from the word “lizard,” which comes from the Old Russian word “skora,” meaning “skin.”

The largest lizard in the world is the Komodo dragon

The smallest lizard in the world

The smallest lizards in the world are the Haraguan sphero (Sphaerodactylus ariasae) and the Virginia round-toed gecko (Sphaerodactylus parthenopion). The size of the babies does not exceed 16-19 mm, and the weight reaches 0.2 grams. These cute and harmless reptiles live in the Dominican Republic and the Virgin Islands.

Where do lizards live?

Various species of lizards live on all continents except Antarctica. Representatives of reptiles familiar to Russia are real lizards that live almost everywhere: they can be found in fields, forests, steppes, gardens, mountains, deserts, near rivers and lakes. All types of lizards move well on any surface, firmly clinging to all kinds of bulges and irregularities. Rock species of lizards are excellent jumpers; the jump height of these mountain inhabitants reaches 4 meters.

What do lizards eat in the wild?

Basically, the lizard is a predator; it goes hunting early in the morning or at sunset. The main food of lizards is invertebrates: various insects (butterflies, grasshoppers, locusts, slugs, snails), as well as arachnids, worms and mollusks.

Large predators, such as monitor lizards, hunt small animals - frogs, snakes, and their own kind, and also happily eat the eggs of birds and reptiles. The Komodo dragon, the largest lizard in the world, attacks wild boar and even buffalo and deer. The moloch lizard feeds exclusively on ants, while the pink-tongued skink eats only terrestrial molluscs. Some large iguanas and skink lizards are almost entirely vegetarian, their menu consisting of ripe fruits, leaves, flowers and pollen.

Lizards in nature are extremely careful and agile; they approach their intended prey furtively, and then attack with a swift dash and capture the prey in their mouths.

The domestic lizard is a rather unpretentious pet in terms of its daily menu. In the warm season, it needs three meals a day; in winter, the lizard can be switched to two meals a day, since its mobility and energy are noticeably reduced.

At home, the lizard feeds on insects, so your pet will definitely appreciate the different “tastes” of crickets, mealworms, grasshoppers, spiders, and she will not refuse fresh raw eggs or pieces of meat. Domestic lizards are very fond of a mixture of chopped boiled chicken, grated carrots and lettuce or dandelion leaves. Supplement this food with a supplement of vitamins and minerals - and your pet will only be grateful to you. The lizard must have fresh water to drink in its terrarium! Even if the pet refuses food for some time, but drinks with pleasure, there is no reason to worry: the lizard has simply decreased its activity a little and is not hungry enough.

Lizard Reproduction

The mating season of lizards always occurs in spring and early summer. Large species of lizards breed once a year, small ones - several times per season. Rival males approach each other sideways, trying to look larger. The smaller ones usually give up without a fight and retreat. If the lizards are males of the same size, a bloody fight ensues, during which competitors bite fiercely. The winner gets the female. An imbalance in the sex ratio in some lizard species leads to parthenogenesis, when female lizards lay eggs without the participation of a male individual. There are 2 ways of lizard reproduction: laying eggs and viviparity.

Females of small species of lizards lay no more than 4 eggs, while large ones lay up to 18 eggs. The weight of an egg can vary from 4 to 200 grams. The egg size of the world's smallest lizard, the round-toed gecko, does not exceed 6 mm in diameter. The egg size of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon, reaches a length of 10 cm.

Future “mothers” bury their clutches in the ground, hide them under stones or in holes. The incubation period depends on climatic conditions and lasts from 3 weeks to 1.5 months. Having hatched, newborn lizard cubs immediately begin an independent life without parental participation. The pregnancy of viviparous lizards lasts 3 months; the embryos of the northern species overwinter safely in the womb. The lifespan of a lizard is from 3 to 5 years.

Birth of a lizard (species - spotted leopard gecko, lat. Eublepharis macularius)

Lizards exterminate insect pests, thereby providing invaluable benefits to humanity. Many exotic species are popular terrarium pets: bearded dragon, true iguana, Yemen chameleon and others.

With proper care, lizards reproduce well in captivity, increasing the artificial population.

• Basilisk lizards can walk on water; this effect is achieved by quickly and very often moving their hind limbs. At the same time, the running speed of lizards reaches 12 km/h, and they can run up to 400 meters.
• While most animals perceive the world in black and white, lizards see their surroundings in orange.
• In Colombia, lizard eggs are a delicacy. People catch pregnant lizards, cut open the belly, remove the eggs and rub wood ash into the wound. The lizard is then released. The eggs of iguanas and monitor lizards are mainly harvested.

Do you believe in the existence of dragons? If not, then be sure to read our article. It may shake your confidence. Indeed, in fact, on the distant island of Komodo there lives such a large lizard that the locals confidently call it a dragon. And not only locals. The name “Komodo dragon” is scientific and is also used by professionals.

You will learn about how the largest lizards in the world live from our material.

Historical reference

These giants were first discovered in 1912 on Komodo Island. It’s easy to guess that this has something to do with the name of the large lizard.

Since then, these creatures have been the subject of scientific research. Scientists have found that the evolutionary history of this species is connected with Australia. From a historical ancestor Varanus separated about 40 million years ago and emigrated to this remote continent. For some time, giants lived in Australia and nearby islands. Later, for various reasons, monitor lizards were pushed to the islands of Indonesia, where they settled. Scientists suggest that this is due to changes in topography and seismic activity. Komodo Island itself, by the way, is also of volcanic origin. It is worth noting that the resettlement of bloodthirsty giants to the islands saved many representatives of the Australian fauna from complete extermination. The large lizard has conquered new territories and dominates there to this day.

Appearance

How big can a Komodo dragon reach? It’s hard to imagine, but the Komodo dragon lizard is comparable in size to a young crocodile.

Scientists took measurements in a sample of 12 individuals and described their external features. The monitor lizards studied reached a length of 2.25-2.6 meters, and their weight was 25-59 kilograms. But these figures are average. Several much more outstanding cases have been recorded and described. The length of some lizards reaches 3 or even more meters, and the largest known specimen weighed more than one and a half centners.

The skin of the monitor lizard is dark green, rough, often covered with small yellowish spots and leathery spines. These animals have a powerful build, strong short legs with sharp claws. At first glance, powerful jaws with large teeth reveal this animal as a fierce predator. A long and mobile forked tongue completes the picture.

Features of the view

Despite its impressive dimensions and apparent clumsiness, the dragon lizard is an excellent swimmer, runner and climber. Komodo dragons are excellent tree climbers, can even swim to a neighboring island, and at short distances not a single potential victim can escape from them.

The Komodo dragon is not only an excellent tactician, but also a brilliant strategist. If this predator has its eye on a prey that is too large, it may use more than just brute force. Varan knows how to wait, he is able to trail behind a dying animal for weeks, anticipating the coming feast.

How do dragons live today?

The large lizard does not like the company of its relatives and avoids them. Monitor lizards lead a solitary lifestyle, and contact with their own kind only during the mating season. These contacts are by no means limited to love pleasures. Males wage bloody battles among themselves, disputing the rights to females and territories.

These predators are diurnal, sleep at night, and hunt at dawn. Like other reptiles, Komodo dragons are cold-blooded and do not tolerate temperature changes well. And from the scorching rays of the sun they are forced to hide in the shade.

Birth of the Dragon

Many interesting facts about lizards are associated with the continuation of the species. After a bloody fight, which often ends with the death of one of the fighters, the winner receives the right to start a family. These animals do not form permanent families; in a year the ritual will be repeated.

The winner's chosen one lays about two dozen eggs. She guards the clutch for about eight months so that small predators or even close relatives do not steal the eggs. But from birth, dragon children are deprived of maternal affection. Having hatched, they find themselves face to face with the harsh island reality and at first survive only thanks to the ability to hide.

Differences between monitor lizards of different sexes and ages

Sexual demorphism in these creatures is not very pronounced. Large sizes are characteristic of dragons of both sexes, but males are somewhat larger and more massive than females.

The cub is born inconspicuous, which helps it hide from predators and hungry relatives. Growing up, the large lizard acquires a rich color. The young have bright spots on their bright green skin, which fades with age.

Hunting

If you are interested in interesting facts about lizards, this issue requires the most careful study. There are no natural enemies on the islands; they can safely be called the top link of the food chain.

Monitor lizards hunt almost all of their neighbors. They even attack buffalos. Archaeologists who have established that the islands were inhabited several thousand years ago do not rule out that it was some species of large lizards, related to the modern Komodo dragon, that became the reason for their complete extermination.

Giant lizards do not disdain carrion. They happily feast on underwater inhabitants thrown out by the sea or the corpses of land animals. Cannibalism is also common.

Modern giants lead a solitary lifestyle, but when hunting they can spontaneously form bloodthirsty packs. And where their powerful muscles, teeth and claws are powerless, they use more sophisticated weapons that deserve special attention.

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The behavioral features of these amazing creatures have been known for a long time. Scientists have found that monitor lizards sometimes bite their prey and then wander after it without showing aggression. The unfortunate animal has no chance, it weakens and slowly dies. It was once believed that the cause of the rapid spread of the deadly infection was the pathogenic microflora that settled in the oral cavity of monitor lizards while eating carrion.

But recent research has proven that this creature has poisonous glands. The venom of a monitor lizard is not as strong as that of some snakes; it cannot kill instantly. The victim dies gradually.

By the way, one more record is worth mentioning here. The Komodo dragon is not only the largest lizard in the world, but also the largest venomous creature.

Danger to people

The status of a rare species and mention in the Red Book raises the question of who is more dangerous to whom. Komodo dragons are a rare species and hunting them is prohibited.

But one cannot count on reciprocal pacifism. There are known cases of monitor lizards attacking humans. If you do not go to the hospital in time, where the patient will be given comprehensive treatment, the poison will be neutralized and an antibiotic will be administered, there is a high risk of death. Monitor lizards are especially dangerous for children. They often attack human corpses, as a result of which it is customary on the island to protect graves with concrete slabs.

In general, humans and the largest lizard in the world coexist quite peacefully. On the islands of Komodo, Rincha, Gili Motang and Flores, unique parks are organized, where many tourists come every year to admire the unusual and amazing reptiles.

Lizards (lat. Lacertilia, formerly Sauria)- a suborder of the squamate order of the class of reptiles.

The suborder of lizards is not a biologically clearly defined category, but includes all those species that do not belong to the other two suborders of squamates - snakes and moths. Snakes are probably descendants of varanoid lizards and, according to biological principles, can also be considered lizards, but are conditionally classified as a separate suborder. In total there are over 4,300 species of lizards.

Unlike snakes, most lizards (with the exception of some legless forms) have more or less developed limbs. Although legless lizards are similar in appearance to snakes, they retain their sternum, and most retain limb girdles; unlike snakes, the left and right halves of the jaw apparatus are motionlessly fused. A characteristic feature of the suborder is also incomplete ossification of the anterior part of the braincase and no more than two sacral vertebrae.

The lizards have dry, scaly skin, four clawed limbs and a long tail.

Lizards move mainly on land, but some can swim and even almost fly.

Lizards have very well developed vision; many see the world in color.

As for size, there are chameleons or geckos whose length does not exceed a few centimeters, and there are also giants, for example, the length of a monitor lizard can approach three or more meters.

In legless lizards, the eyes, as a rule, are equipped with movable separate eyelids, while in snakes the eyelids are fused, forming transparent “lenses” in front of the eyes. They also differ in a number of other features, such as the structure and structure of the scales.

Many species of lizards are capable of throwing off part of their tail (autotomy). 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.

Most lizards are predators. Small and medium-sized species feed mainly on various invertebrates: insects, arachnids, mollusks, worms. Large predatory lizards (monitor lizards, tegus) attack small vertebrates: other lizards, frogs, snakes, small mammals and birds, and also eat the eggs of birds and reptiles. The largest modern lizard, the Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), attacks large animals such as deer, wild pigs and Asian buffalo. Some carnivorous species of lizards are stenophages, that is, they specialize in eating a specific type of food. For example, the moloch (Moloch horridus) feeds only on ants, and the pink-tongued skink (Hemisphaeriodon gerrardii) in nature eats exclusively terrestrial mollusks.

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

Among lizards there are many omnivorous species that use both animal and plant foods (for example, blue-tongued skinks, many agamas). Madagascar day geckos, in addition to insects, readily eat nectar and pollen. As for reproduction, most lizards lay eggs, but there are also viviparous ones. Maternal instinct is alien to insidious reptiles. Almost all types of lizards, after the birth of their offspring, stop worrying about them.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordata
Class: Reptiles
Order: Scaly
Suborder: Lizards

The suborder of lizards has 6 infraorders with 37 families:

• Infraorder Iguania - Iguanas
• Family Agamidae - Agamidae
• Family Chamaeleonidae - Chameleons
• Family Corytophanidae
• Family Crotaphytidae - Collared iguanas
• Family Dactyloidae
• Family Hoplocercidae
• Family Iguanidae - Iguanaidae
• Family Leiocephalidae - Masked iguanas
• Family Leiosauridae
• Family Liolaemidae
• Family Opluridae
• Family Phrynosomatidae
• Family Polychrotidae - Anoliaceae
• Family Tropiduridae
• Infraorder Gekkota - Gecko-like
• Family Gekkonidae - Geckos
• Family Carphodactylidae
• Family Diplodactylidae
• Family Eublepharidae
• Family Phyllodactylidae
• Family Sphaerodactylidae
• Family Pygopodidae - Scalepods
• Infraorder Scincomorpha - Skinks
• Family Cordylidae - Belttails
• Family Gerrhosauridae - Gerrosauridae
• Family Gymnophthalmidae
• Family Teiidae
• Family Lacertidae - True lizards
• Family Scincidae - Skinids
• Family Xantusiidae - Night lizards
• Infraorder Diploglossa - Fusiformes
• Family Anguidae - Veretenitaceae
• Family Anniellidae - Legless lizards
• Family Xenosauridae - Xenosaurs
• Infrasquad Dibamia
• Family Dibamidae - Worm-like lizards
• Infraorder Varanoidea - Monitor lizards (Platynota)
• Family Helodermatidae - Venomtooths
• Family Lanthanotidae - Earless monitor lizards
• Family Varanidae - Monitor lizards
• Family † Mosasauridae - Mosasaurs
• Superfamily Shinisauroidea
• Family Shinisauridae

Lizards are representatives of the class of reptiles, which have a huge number of different species. Today, scientists count about 6,000 different species of lizards. You’ve probably seen photos of different types of lizards on the Internet more than once, which are very difficult to distinguish. So let's take a closer look at these extraordinary reptiles.

Description of lizards

Lizards live in forests, on rocks, in deserts, in mountains, etc. They have a scaly cover and breathe only through the lungs. Lizards come in a variety of colors from gray to dark brown. On average, the size of these reptiles varies from 20 to 40 cm, but there are also small species of lizards called foot-and-mouth lizards and their size reaches up to 10 cm, and the smallest representative is the South American gecko measuring up to 4 cm.

There are also larger species of lizards - the Pearl, whose size reaches up to 80 cm, and the Colorado Dragon, which is the largest representative, whose size reaches about three meters.

The main distinguishing feature of lizards is the presence of a movable eyelid, unlike snakes, which have fused eyelids. There is also a second feature of lizards - the ability to throw off their tail in times of danger, as bait.

How do lizards reproduce?

Depending on the type, lizards are divided into:

• Viviparous
• Oviparous
• Egg-laying viviparity

In viviparous animals, the baby is fed by the mother. Egg layers lay their eggs in secluded places and hide them. Eggs are covered with a shell or soft shell. The number of eggs varies from 1 to 30. And in the latter case, the baby develops inside the shell in the womb of its mother.

Lizard nutrition

Lizards feed on a variety of foods. Some eat insects, and some eat plant foods. There is also a species of lizards that feed exclusively on berries.

But large-sized lizards feed on rodents and some types of reptiles.

What lizards can you keep at home?

Over the years, people have been fascinated with keeping lizards at home. These reptiles very quickly get used to captivity and give birth to offspring with good survival rates. Feeding lizards is not particularly difficult, because they eat both plant foods and meat.

Despite the fact that the terrariums maintain a normal temperature, they still feel the change of season.

How many domestic species of lizards are there?

Bearded dragon

Agama boradata is the most unpretentious species of lizards, so for those who are just starting to have lizards, it is better to purchase this species. She can also change color depending on changes in temperature.

Real Iguana

True Iguana - Also called the "common" Iguana, some species can be large in size. These reptiles lead a quiet lifestyle and eat only plant foods.

The main requirements for keeping it are to have a large space in the terrarium and keep it lit.

Currents

Toki is called the Asian cuckoo, due to the fact that it makes very funny sounds; according to the signs of Asians, this means that it brings happiness to the house. This gecko feeds only on plant foods.

Note!

Agama tree

Arboreal agama - this type of reptile lives very well in trees, due to the fact that it has large claws, and the agama can also camouflage itself.

Four-horned chameleon

Four-horned chameleon - this type of reptile can perfectly camouflage itself with its environment. It feeds on fruits and insects.

Lizards located in the vicinity of Moscow

There are a large number of different species of lizards that live in the Moscow region. Let's look at some of them.

Brittle spindle - this type of lizard has no legs and is very often confused with a snake. It lives in thickets of bushes or forests. This reptile feeds on insects and worms.

The main distinguishing characteristic from snakes is the movable eyelid and even scales throughout the body. The coloring of juveniles and adults is different. Juveniles are silver or golden in color, while adults are dark brown.

Viviparous lizard - likes to be in damp places. In the Moscow region they wake up from hibernation in mid-April.

The fast lizard loves to be in sandy places most of all, so it is easy to see in gardens, meadows, and clearings.

Photos of lizards