The scientific name of Lizard is Lacertilia. Lizards are reptiles of the order Squamata and the class Reptilia. Except for Antarctica, every continent has over 6,000 species of lizards. Lizards come in all shapes and sizes, and some are even deafeningly deaf The Sphaerodactylus ariasae, or Jaragua lizard, is the smallest known species of lizard. It was discovered on an island off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Adults range in length from 0.63 to 0.71 inches.
The Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), the world’s largest living lizard, is at the other end of the spectrum. The largest verified specimen measured 10.3 feet in total length and weighed more than 160 kg. The Indonesian islands of Flores, Rinca, Gili Motang, and Komodo are home to Varanus komodoensis.
Furthermore, the komodo dragon’s saliva is said to be venomous, secreting a toxic cocktail of proteins as well as anticoagulants.
What is a lizard?
Lizards are reptiles, which are a type of animal. They have the most in common with snakes. In fact, some lizards, known as scheltopusik, resemble snakes because they lack legs! Many modern lizards resemble ancient reptiles from the dinosaur era. Their forefathers first appeared on Earth more than 200 million years ago.
Lizards have a small head, a short neck, and a long body and tail. Most lizards, unlike snakes, have movable eyelids. Iguanas, chameleons, geckos, Gila monsters, monitors, and skinks are among the 4,675 lizard species that exist today.
Members of the Pygopodidae family are another group of lizards that resemble snakes on the surface. As a result, these animals are sometimes referred to as legless lizards. Pygopodidae differ from snakes in that they have a notched tongue as opposed to a forked tongue. Pygopodids also have external ear openings as well as eyelids.
Facts about lizard
- The tail of some lizards can store up to 60% of their body fat.
- Alligator lizards, unlike other lizards, shed their skin in one piece, just like snakes.
- The secret of the gecko’s sticky toes is inspiring new types of adhesives, including one that is biodegradable and can be used in surgery.
- The sand lizard “dances” to protect its feet from the hot sand by lifting its legs up quickly, one at a time, or by resting its belly on the sand and lifting up all four legs at once.
- The Madagascan chameleon has a tongue with a sticky tip that can extend longer than the length of its body.
Scaly Body of lizard
All lizards have dry skin and scaly bodies, meaning they are covered in scales. Only the cloaca, eyes, mouth, and nostrils are unprotected by scales. Scales come in a variety of shapes and textures, and the arrangement of the scales varies by species and body part. Scales can be smooth and overlapping, or they can form a mosaic of flat plates with keels or tubercles. The arrangement differs between species and by body part. The outer parts of the scales are made up of dead horny tissue that is mostly made up of the protein keratin. The dead layer is shed in patches and at regular intervals. In the deep part of the epidermis, proliferating cells replace dead skin.
Some lizards have scales modified into sharp spines like in horned lizards
Some lizards are fortified with internal horny plates called Osteoderms like in the Beaded lizards .Some lizards such as horned lizards. Some lizards, such as Beaded lizards, have scales that are reinforced with internal horny plates called Osteoderms.
Colour vision and three Chambered Heart
- Colour vision – Lizards have excellent colour vision, seeing more colours than other reptiles. Their retinas contain multicoloured oil droplets in their photoreceptors, allowing them to perceive more colours than other reptiles and some other animals. Their colour vision is important to them because they rely heavily on sight for hunting and communication.
- Three heart lizard-A lizard’s heart has three chambers: two atria and one ventricle. The ventricle is partially divided by a muscular septum. When the ventricle contracts, the opening in the septum closes, dividing the ventricle into two separate chambers for a brief period of time. This prevents the two bloods from mixing. The left half of the ventricle delivers oxygenated blood to the body from the left atrium. The right half transports deoxygenated blood from the right atrium to the lungs.
Conclusion
The scientific name of the Lizard is Lacertilia. Lizards are reptiles of the order Squamata and the class Reptilia. Lizards come in all shapes and sizes, and some are even deafeningly deaf. The Sphaerodactylus ariasae, or Jaragua lizard, is the smallest known species of lizard. The Komodo Dragon , the world’s largest living lizard, is at the other end of the spectrum. Members of the Pygopodidae family are another group of lizards that resemble snakes on the surface. The tail of some lizards can store up to 60% of their body fat. The secret of the gecko’s sticky toes is inspiring new types of adhesives, including one that is biodegradable and can be used in surgery.