What are the baby lizards called? Varieties of lizards: what reptiles look like depending on the species. Age of puberty and life expectancy

Lizards belong to the class of reptiles. Their defining characteristics include a long tail, two pairs of legs that extend outward from the body, and scaly skin. Most lizards are cold-blooded animals and depend on environmental conditions to regulate their body temperature. There are many types of lizards distributed throughout the world. Different types of lizards have different distinctive characteristics, which makes them interesting to study. Some of them even look prehistoric or sci-fi movie creatures!

gecko toki

gecko currents ( gecko gecko) is a species of nocturnal reptile belonging to the genus Gekko, found in Asia, as well as on some islands in the Pacific Ocean. The toki gecko has a robust body, large head, strong limbs and jaws compared to other gecko species. This is a large lizard that reaches 30 to 35 centimeters in length. Despite the fact that the toki gecko camouflages itself to its environment, it usually has a grayish color with red spots. Its body is cylindrical in shape and smooth in texture. Toki geckos are sexually dimorphic, which means that the males are brighter than the females. They feed on insects and other small ones. Strong jaws allow them to easily crush the exoskeleton of insects.

marine iguana

marine iguana ( Amblyrhynchus cristatu listen)) is a species of lizard found only in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador, with each island being home to marine iguanas of varying sizes and shapes. Recently, their populations have been threatened due to the large number of predators that feed on lizards and their eggs. Marine iguanas are marine reptiles that are often described as ugly and disgusting because of their appearance. Contrary to their fierce look, marine iguanas are gentle. Their coloration is mostly black soot. The long, flattened tail helps them swim, while the flat and sharp claws allow them to cling to rocks in case of strong currents. Marine iguanas often sneeze to clear their nostrils of salt. In addition to sneezing, they have special glands that secrete excess salt.

Lesser belttail

Small belttails ( Cordylus cataphractus) lives in desert and semi-desert regions. They are mainly found along the west coast of South Africa. Lizards were used in the pet trade for a long time until they became endangered. The color of the small girdle is either light brown or dark brown, and the lower part of the body is yellow with dark stripes. They are diurnal reptiles that feed on small plants, as well as other types of small lizards and rodents. If the lizard senses danger, it inserts its tail into its mouth to form a spherical shape that allows it to roll. In this form, the spikes on the back are exposed, protecting the lesser girdled tail from predators.

Agama Mwanza

Agama Mwanza ( Agama mwanzae) are found in most sub-Saharan countries. They are usually 13-30 cm long, and males are 8-13 cm longer than females. These lizards usually live in small groups with one male as the leader. The dominant male is allowed to breed, while other males may not mate with females in the group unless they eliminate the main male or form their own group. Mwanza Agamas feed on insects, reptiles, small mammals and vegetation. They mate during the rainy season. Before mating, the male digs small holes with his snout. After mating, the females lay their eggs in the holes. The incubation period is 8 to 10 weeks.

komodo dragon

Komodo dragon ( Varanus komodoensis) is the largest known species of lizard. They live on the Indonesian islands of Komodo, Rinka, Flores and Gili Motang. Mature monitor lizards weigh an average of 70 kg and are about 3 meters long. Komodo dragons ambush a variety of prey that includes birds, invertebrates, small mammals, and in rare cases, humans. Its bite is venomous. The protein venom they inject when they bite can cause unconsciousness, low blood pressure, muscle paralysis, and hypothermia in victims. Komodo dragons breed from May to August, and the females lay their eggs between August and September.

Moloch

(Moloch horridus) is mostly found in the Australian deserts. It grows up to 20 cm and has a lifespan of 15 to 16 years. Its color is usually brown or olive. Moloch camouflages himself in cold weather by changing his skin tone to a darker one. His body is covered with spikes for protection. The lizard also has soft tissues that resemble its head. The fabrics are located on the upper part of the neck and serve as a defense, in which the prickly dragon hides its real head if it senses danger. Moloch has another amazing desert survival mechanism. Its complex skin structure, under the action of capillary force, helps to fuse water into the lizard's mouth. The basis of the diet of Moloch is the ant.

Arizona gila-tooth

Arizona gila-tooth ( Heloderma suspectum) - a poisonous species of lizard that lives in the desert and rocky regions of Mexico and the United States. These reptiles have flattened triangular heads that are larger in males than females. Long, thick and cylindrical body, wider in females. Their diet consists of reptile eggs, birds and rodents. Hunting skills are characterized by a strong sense of smell and hearing. The Arizona gill can hear the vibrations of its prey from afar and smell the buried eggs. A large body and tail are used to store fat and water reserves, which allows them to survive in deserts. Dry and flaky scales prevent excessive water loss from the lizard's body.

Parson's Chameleon

Parson's Chameleon ( Calumma Parsonii) is the largest chameleon in the world. It is found in Madagascar. The large and triangular head has independently moving eyes. Males have two horn structures running from the eyes to the nose. Females lay up to fifty eggs, which can be incubated for up to 2 years. After hatching, Parson's young chameleons immediately become independent. Due to their unusual appearance, they are imported for home keeping in other countries. However, most reptiles die during transportation. Parson's chameleons are immobile animals, making minimal movements only for feeding, drinking and mating.

lobe-tailed gecko

Bladetail Gecko ( Ptychozoon kuhli) is found in Asia, especially India, Indonesia, Southern Thailand, and Singapore. They have unusual leathery outgrowths on the sides of their bodies and webbed feet. They feed on crickets, wax worms and mealworms. They are nocturnal reptiles. Males are very territorial and difficult to keep in a cage. They disguise themselves as tree bark, which helps them avoid predators. Blade-tailed geckos live inside trees and jump from branch to branch, especially when they sense danger.

Iguana rhinoceros

Rhino Iguana ( Cyclura cornuta) is an endangered species of lizard that lives on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. They have a horn-like outgrowth on their snout, similar to a rhinoceros horn. The length of rhinoceros iguanas is 60-136 cm, and the weight ranges from 4.5 kg to 9 kg. Their color varies from grayish to dark green and brown. Rhinoceros iguanas have large bodies and heads. Their tail is vertically flattened and quite strong. They are sexually dimorphic and males are larger than females. After mating, females lay between 2 and 34 eggs within 40 days. Their eggs are among the largest among lizards.

Lizards are a more numerous and ancient group of reptiles from the scaly suborder. Unlike snakes, they have eyelids and limbs. They live everywhere except the arctic and subarctic zones. In total, there are about 3600 species of lizards. Most of these reptiles live in the tropical and subtropical zones of South America, Australia and southern Asia. Basically, lizards lead a terrestrial lifestyle, feed on small rodents and insects, and the largest representatives - monitor lizards hunt big game: rabbits, hares, gazelles, buffaloes. There are almost no vegetarians among lizards.

Only 6 families belong to this suborder: skinks, iguanas, monitor lizards, geckos, spindles, agams.

Skink from lat. Scincidae- a very large group of lizards: 130 genera and 1.5 thousand species.

Most often, representatives of this group are not very large. They have a very smooth horny cover, due to the special arrangement of "polished" scales. Lined by osteoderms. The body and head are disproportionately large compared to the legs. Therefore, skinks move very slowly, but if you need to escape from predators, they can also develop high speed.

We also observe in skinks laterally compressed conical teeth, slightly curved. In blue-tongued skinks (herbivore), they are thicker and rounded at the tip.

Most skinks have pale buff scales, but some skinks are painted in a wide variety of colors: red, blue, green, black, pink, turquoise. This range has a blue-tongued or fire skink.

The habitat is very diverse. This family lives on all continents except Antarctica. A large variety of species can be found in tropical and subtropical zones. But skinks have successfully spread in the northern regions. They live in: deserts, forests, steppes - in a wide variety of biotopes. The way of life is more often terrestrial, but there are also poison dart frogs.

Iguanas- lizards, occupying the second place in size in this suborder. The length of an adult iguana can exceed 2 meters. Now there are 8 genera and 25 species. These creatures miraculously retained their prehistoric appearance, which helped them survive to this day. The most famous representative of this family is the Green iguana. Representatives of this family are one of the most amazing lizards: they have retained the appearance of antiquity and can be trained. Another interesting fact concerns the smallest representatives of iguanas - Basiliscus Basiliscus, which have learned to run on water.

Iguanas are common in Central and South America, on the large Antilles and Galapagos Islands.

Iguanas lead a mostly arboreal lifestyle. In dense foliage, they escape from the heat and receive moisture from the air humidified by foliage. They eat exclusively plant foods.

Monitor lizards Varanus- These are the largest lizards on earth. Includes 70 species.

The largest representative, the Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis, reaches a length of 3-4 meters and weighs more than 100 kg. Then come motley, black-toothed, etc. Their length can reach 2 meters, and their weight is from 20 to 30 kg. Monitor lizards, like the knights of the Middle Ages, have powerful armor, like chain mail and sharp weapons. Their skin acts as armor, which is covered with tires or enlarged horny shields. The claws act as a sickle. But monitor lizards have also invented chemical weapons - a huge amount of microbes and bacteria accumulate in their mouths, to which they are immune. When hunting, it is enough to bite the victim, the infection lasts from several minutes to half an hour, then the body cannot function normally and weakens. After that, the monitor lizard finds prey by smell and eats it.

But there are also small monitor lizards, which are even popular for keeping in terrariums. The most famous species are Cape and emerald. Their weight is several kilograms, and their length is about a meter or a little more. Such species are less dangerous and aggressive. Unless they have sharp claws.

All representatives of this family inhabit Africa and Australia, as well as South Asia and the Indonesian islands. As a rule, they lead a terrestrial way of life. Sometimes there are also tree frogs.

Gecko or clawed (Gekkonidae)- Geckos or prehensile

Interesting group, includes 70 rubles. and 700 c. The head is covered with small thickened shields. The eyes are convex, very large, while there are no eyelids, if necessary, they are moistened with the tongue. Which they have is very wide and soft, has bumpy specks (so as not to damage the eye membrane). Usually representatives of this family are nocturnal. During the mating season, they are active during the day. They can make different sounds (communication).

There are species from New Zealand that are viviparous.

They got the name "grasping claws" for the ability to climb walls and ceilings with the help of special bristles on their paws. They are covered with thousands of microscopic hairs, which allow the animal to climb walls. But for this ability, geckos gradually decreased in size during evolution and acquired light and soft scales so as not to fall down under the influence of gravity, the weight of geckos is only 15-30 grams, and the length with a tail is 20 cm.

Geckos are distributed on all continents except Antarctica. More common in tropical and subtropical zones. Geckos are the most popular pet lizards. They are not demanding: they feed on insects and plant foods, temperatures from 30 degrees during the day and 25 at night, a medium-sized vertical type terrarium.

Agamidae (Agamidae) - This unique family includes approximately 50 genera and over 350 species. This group is very peculiar: here we can see dwarfs (8cm round-headed) and giants (180cm frilled-bearer). This also includes: digging huge holes, poison dart frogs, walking, flying and water forms.

Agamas live in Eurasia, they also settled Africa (not in Madagascar) and Australia. They live in a variety of biotopes, quickly adapting to new conditions. Tundra, forests, steppes, wastelands, banks of rivers and lakes, mountain ranges - all this is conquered by these amazing reptiles. But Antarctica and the Arctic belts still remain untouched by them.

The main difference between agamas is the structure of the skin and teeth. Among the horny cover, sharp spikes can be seen, most often they are on the neck and on the back. The teeth are located on the outer rim and not on the inner side of the jaws.

The most amazing representative is the flying dragon Draco. It is 30–40 centimeters long and weighs several grams. The most interesting thing is that he can lay out his ribs like wings and stretch his skin. Starting from a height, it can fly over 100 meters at the same time quite quickly. Thus, the flying dragon holds the record for gliding among reptiles.

Spindleworms (Anguidae) – more primitive group. 13 genera and 120 species. Habitat: Asia and Europe.

There are spindles, both with a full set of limbs, and legless (the spindle is brittle), there is a species in which the legs are represented by small and thin outgrowths. The horny cover is supported by bony plates.

In representatives of this family, two lateral folds can be seen. It helps the lizard breathe and push through food. The spindles have the ability to "unfasten" when the tail falls off, regenerating over time, but it will not be the same as it was originally. Some species of this family can be confused with snakes, but they have eyelids and dilated ear pits.

The diet consists of beetles, mice, molluscs. At the same time, their teeth are blunt.

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

Lizards are widely distributed throughout the world. They are found on all continents except Antarctica.

These are, as a rule, small animals with well-developed limbs.

About 3800 modern species of lizards are known, which are united in 20 families.

The smallest species of lizard, the round-toed lizard from the West Indies, has a length of only 33 mm and weighs about 1 g, and the largest is the Komodo lizard from Indonesia, which, with a mass of 135 kg, can reach 3 m in length.

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

Most lizards are predators.

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

Large predatory lizards (tegu, monitor lizards) attack small vertebrates: other lizards, snakes, and small mammals, and also eat bird eggs and.

Moloch lizard eats only.

Some large dragon, iguana 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 the nectar and pollen of flowers and the pulp of juicy ripe ones.

Lizards have been living on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. The oldest fossil lizard, called Lizzie's lizard, lived about 340 million years ago. She was found in Scotland in March 1988.

Some extinct species of lizards were huge. Such a species of lizard as Megalania, which lived in Australia about 1 million years ago, reached a length of about 6 m.

The shoulder and femur bones of lizards are parallel to the surface of the earth. Therefore, when moving, the body sags and adjoins the ground with its back part - it crawls, 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 - the third eyelid, with which the surface of the eye is moistened.

Gecko lizards have no eyelids, so they are forced to periodically wet a special transparent membrane in front of their eyes with their tongue.

In the recess behind the eyes is the tympanic membrane, followed by the middle and inner ear in the bones of the skull. The lizard hears very well. The organ of touch and taste is a long, thin, forked tongue at the end, which the lizard often protrudes from 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 DEFINITELY 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 of the external auditory meatus, which snakes do not have, the eyes of lizards, as a rule, are equipped with movable separate eyelids, while in snakes the eyelids have grown together, forming transparent "lenses" in front of the eyes. However, some lizards do not have these features. Therefore, it is more reliable to focus on the features of the internal structure. For example, all lizards, even legless ones, retain at least the rudiments of the sternum and shoulder girdle (the skeletal support of the forelimbs); in snakes, both are completely absent.

In diurnal lizards, color vision is a rarity in the animal world.

Many species of lizards are able to shed part of their tail (autotomy). The lizard has a lot of enemies, but only nimble legs and a tail can protect it, with which it can, having assessed the measure of danger, part. The enemy sees a wriggling tail, this distracts his attention, and the animal has not been around for a long time. If a person grabbed the tail, then 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 an autotomy, special muscles compress the blood vessels in the tail, and there is almost no bleeding.

A lizard without a tail is no longer so fast and nimble, it can lose its ability to reproduce, climbs and runs poorly due to the lack of a “rudder”. In many lizards, the tail serves to accumulate fat and nutrients, which means that all their energy is concentrated in the tail. The animal after its detachment may die from exhaustion. Therefore, the lizard that escapes often tries to find its tail and eat it in order to restore lost strength. There is no complete recovery. The new tail is always worse than the original. It has poor flexibility, shorter length and less dexterous movements.

Sometimes the tail of a lizard does not come off completely 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 bristles - 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 wintering and at night they hide in minks, under stones and in other places.

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

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

Some geckos stick their eggs to tree trunks and branches, on rocks.

As a rule, having laid eggs, lizards do not return to them.

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

A smaller number 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 dresses them while still in the oviducts or immediately after birth.

Real live birth has been established only in the American night lizards of xanthusia and in some skinks.

Live birth 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 a 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 lizard (Varanus salvadorii), from Papua New Guinea. It, according to accurate measurements, reaches a length of 4.75 m, but approximately 70% of its total length falls on 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), which lives in Costa Rica.

The longest-lived is the fragile lizard. A male brittle lizard (Anguis fragilis) lived in the Zoological Museum of 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 the lizards is either sand or stone, so that it is easy to disguise. Toad-shaped lizards live in open areas; over the years of their 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 you can’t hide, the lizard starts to attack, first it stretches out on its paws and swells up like a toad, this is where its name comes from, its size increases by 2 times, but if this doesn’t scare the enemy away, the lizard goes to extreme measures: shoots blood from the eyes, aiming at the muzzle of a predator. Her blood contains poisonous and toxic substances, which makes the predator retreat.

Lizard two-headed short-tailed skink

Lizards are reptiles. Most of them have a long tail and 4 legs. But there are also types of lizards that have no legs at all. Only specialists can distinguish them from snakes. The species diversity of this group of reptiles is enormous. They differ not only in size, body structure and color, but also in habits. Moreover, people often call reptiles that are not lizards. In order not to make mistakes, it is useful to know what lizards are.

Data resides especially in many places

general description

These reptiles feel great in forests, mountains, steppes and deserts. Some varieties of lizards have adapted to live in water.

Most reptiles are small in size from 20 to 40 cm, but there are also very large lizards, such as pearl. The length of her body exceeds 80 cm. Giant lizards also live on our planet. It's about Komodo dragons. Their growth can reach 3 meters.

Separately, it is worth mentioning very small lizards. On average, their height barely reaches 10 cm. South American geckos are considered the smallest of them - their body length with a tail rarely exceeds 4 cm.

The coloration of reptiles is varied. Most often, their scales are painted in those colors that allow them to better camouflage on the ground: green, brown and gray.
Individual representatives of this group of reptiles have a very bright color, consisting of red or blue colors.

They don't have a voice
Lizards have several characteristic features:
They have highly mobile eyelids, for example, snakes, which are their closest relatives, have fused eyelids, so they can hardly move their eyeballs.
These reptiles, if necessary, can get rid of their tail. When attacked by a predator, the animal breaks its spine and discards the organ, which wriggles for some time, distracting the attention of the enemy.
Lizards do not have vocal cords, so they do not make sounds.
They have small ears. You can find them on both sides of the head.

Scientists know of only one species that makes at least some sounds - this is the Shtekhlin and Simon lizard. In case of danger, she is able to emit a thin squeak.
Reproduction features
The number of matings in lizards depends on their size. Large reptiles breed only once a year, while small ones are able to mate several times per season.
Males often fight for females. If one of them is larger, then the smaller one will soon leave the battlefield. When both fighters are in equal weight categories, then it can come to serious bloodshed. The winning male is rewarded with a female.

Can lay up to 18 eggs
In some species, the sex ratio is broken, but the lizards do not disappear. The fact is that females begin to lay eggs without the participation of males - this is the so-called parthenogenesis.
Lizards reproduce in two ways: with the help of eggs and live birth. Small species lay up to 18 eggs at a time. Large reptiles lay only a few pieces.
In most cases, females hide their clutches in the ground, sand, under stones, or in the burrows of the rodents they have killed. The egg maturation period lasts from several weeks to 1.5 months. After the appearance of the babies, the female loses all interest in them. Young lizards begin to live an independent life.
Pregnancy in viviparous species lasts 3 months. As a rule, the gestation period falls on the winter. The young are born in winter.
In this video you will learn more about lizards:
Squads of reptiles
Biologists divide all lizards into 6 orders, each of which includes about thirty families. The orders of reptiles are:
Skin-like. The order is rich in species diversity. It includes real lizards, widely represented in Russia, but most species live in the tropical regions of the planet. Skink reptiles are found in South America and Africa, Madagascar and Cuba. Separate varieties were discovered by scientists in the Sahara Desert.
Iguanas. This order includes 14 families of reptiles. The most famous of these is the chameleon found in South America and Madagascar.
Geckos. Reptiles belonging to this order are considered rare. It includes lizards that do not have legs. They are found in Australia.
Fusiform. These include monitor lizards.
Worm lizards. These are the so-called worms. Outwardly, reptiles look more like huge earthworms. They can be found in the tropical rainforests of Indochina, Indonesia, and Mexico.
monitor lizards. These lizards are very large. Their weight often exceeds 5 kg. There are a lot of legends about them.

There is only one type of venomous lizard - the gila teeth. During an attack on their prey, they not only bite it, but also inject a dangerous poison under the skin.

Some species can be pets
Pets
Increasingly, people have unusual pets in their homes. It can be insects, spiders and reptiles. Lizards in this list occupy the lion's share. The reason for such popularity of reptiles lies in their cute appearance, calm behavior and relative friendliness. Lizards may well replace a cat or dog.
Panther chameleon
Furcifer pardalis is native to Madagascar. The lizard looks very bright, and its color largely depends on the place where it was born. Male individuals can reach a length of 50 cm, but only in natural conditions. When kept at home, their body length rarely exceeds 25 cm. Females are even smaller. The life span of a panther chameleon does not exceed 6 years.
Females have a less bright color, which is almost the same in different regions of their habitat. Males, on the contrary, are very bright and very different from each other. By their appearance, experienced specialists can determine where this or that individual appeared. The most popular varieties are:
Ambilobe chameleon. Born in the northern part of the island between two villages.
Sambava. It lives in the northeastern part of Madagascar.
The tamatave chameleon is a coastal dweller in the east of the island.

Easily fed from human hands
At home, a panther chameleon should be kept in a terrarium. In the first months of life, a small dwelling measuring 30x30x50 cm is enough for a lizard, but then it will need a larger house.
To bring the pet's living conditions closer to natural, branches, artificial and living plants are laid inside the terrarium. Of the latter, dracaena and ficus should be distinguished. Chameleons love to climb steep surfaces, which means that snags and creepers should be in the serpentarium. The top of the dwelling must be tightly closed. If the cover is removed, then the chameleons, despite their slowness, will quickly run away.
Panther and other types of chameleons do not like human contact. They love peace. If you take a reptile in your hands, then you need to do this only from below. Seeing movement from above, the reptile will regard it as a threat. Over time, chameleons get used to their owners and even begin to recognize them. They willingly approach people during feeding.
This reptile prefers to live in close proximity to water bodies, on the banks of which there are large stones or branches. On them, the agama is heated on sunny days.
The lizard has strong paws with large claws, which are not a weapon, but a tool for convenient movement on various surfaces. The strong and wide tail allows the reptile to swim quickly.
The water agama is considered a large lizard. Taking into account the tail, the length of the female can reach 60 cm. The males are even larger - up to 1 meter. Males differ from females not only in size, but also in color. Moreover, these differences in young lizards are rather weakly expressed.
For home maintenance of a water agama, you will need a very large terrarium. Young individuals can huddle in a 100-liter aquarium for some time, but then the living space for them will have to be significantly expanded.

It’s not for nothing that Agama is called a water agama - she loves to be in the water
Inside the terrarium, be sure to put thick branches. As a substrate, you can use paper and coconut flakes. But the sand is not suitable - the lizard will eat it.
The terraria should have a heating zone with a constant air temperature of +35 °C. Heating is best provided with the help of lamps, since lizards spend most of their time climbing onto snags.
Agamas love to swim, so you need to place a pond inside the terrarium. In addition, you will have to maintain the humidity of the air at least 60%. You can do this with a spray gun.
There should not be 2 males in one terrarium. They will not be able to get along and will definitely fight.
Eublefar or spotted gecko is perhaps the most popular species among lovers of keeping exotics at home. This lizard is very calm and peaceful. She feels great in small terraria. Geckos are easy to care for. In addition, this type of reptile is distinguished by a variety of colors.
In nature, eublefar lives in the dry steppes and rocky semi-deserts of Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. The lizard is active at dusk and early in the morning. At this time, the air temperature is most comfortable for her.
Spotted geckos prefer to live alone. They jealously guard their territory. Males prefer to communicate with females only during the mating season.
One gecko will thrive in a 50 liter terrarium. However, if the owner plans to breed these reptiles, then you will have to buy a larger terrarium.

Eublefar cannot walk on smooth terrain
Can't climb smooth surfaces, so the dwelling can not be covered with a lid. But if there are other pets at home, especially cats, then it is better to close the terrarium.
In one house, you can safely keep several females at once, if they are of the same age and size. There will be no enmity between them. But the males will certainly fight. Moreover, males do not get along with females. They will take food from females and slaughter them, so males should be kept alone.
In a terrarium, spotted geckos should have places with high and low temperatures. The maximum temperature indicators are +32 °C, the minimum - not lower than +22 °C. This parameter must be monitored with two thermometers. Overheating or hypothermia will lead to pet illnesses.
collared iguana
This medium-sized lizard lives in the southeastern United States. Its maximum length, together with the tail, is 35 cm. Under natural conditions, it lives for about 8 years, and in captivity - no more than 4.
The collared iguana is a very strong and fast predator. According to biologists, if its size were comparable to the size of monitor lizards, it would easily displace the latter. This reptile effectively preys on other reptiles and rodents. She does not disdain insects.
The iguana moves very fast. Accelerating to a speed of 26 km / h, it attacks prey and kills it with powerful jaws in several movements.
The lizard has a high metabolism, so keeping it at home is not easy, because you have to feed it often. Large cockroaches, beetles, mice serve as food.
An iguana needs a spacious enclosure with an ultraviolet heater. You can keep it in a terrarium, but then it must be very large. The temperature in the lizard's dwelling should be maintained at +27 ° C, and in the heating zone - up to + 41-43 ° C. There is no need to make a separate pond, it is enough to put a drinking bowl. Spray water from a spray bottle from time to time.
Communication with iguanas should be careful. They are hard to get used to the hands of a person and, if handled carelessly, can injure their jaws.

General characteristics of the lizard suborder (SAURIA)

About 3,300 species of reptiles of various shapes and sizes (from 3.5 cm to 4 m; weight up to 150 kg). Some are legless. Ways of movement - from swimming (marine iguanas) to gliding (flying dragon). Food is varied - from small invertebrates to wild pigs and deer (giant monitor lizard). The skin is covered with horny scales. Many are capable of autotomy (tail drop). Well-developed vision (many distinguish colors), hearing (some make sounds), touch, parietal eye.

· Gecko family - 600 species from 3.5 to 35 cm long. They inhabit tropical and subtropical regions. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle. The fingers are equipped with devices that allow geckos to stay on sheer vertical surfaces.
· iguana family - 700 species from 10 cm to 2 m long. They inhabit the western hemisphere from southern Canada to southern Argentina. In arboreal forms, the body is laterally compressed, while in terrestrial forms, it is flattened in the dorso-ventral direction. Marine iguanas are semi-aquatic.
· Agama family - about 300 species, close to iguanas, occupying ecological niches in Eurasia, Africa and Asia, similar to those of iguanas in America. They lead an arboreal lifestyle, inhabiting rocks, steppes and deserts. Representatives: steppe, Caucasian agamas, roundheads.
· a family of real lizards - about 170 species distributed in Europe, Asia and Africa. In our region there are nimble and viviparous lizards.
· spindle family - 80 species of legless or limbless lizards found on all continents. We meet yellowbell and spindle.
· monitor lizard family - 30 species of the largest modern lizards. Distributed in Africa, Asia, the Malay Archipelago, Australia. From small (20 cm) to giant (4 m) monitor lizards. The gray monitor lizard and the giant monitor lizard occupy the ecological niche of large predatory animals that are absent in these habitats.

Lizards are the most numerous and widespread group of modern reptiles. The appearance of lizards is extremely diverse. Their head, body, legs and tail may be modified to some extent and deviate considerably from the usual type familiar to everyone. In some species, the body is noticeably compressed from the sides, in others it is valky or flattened from top to bottom, in others it is cylindrically shortened or elongated, like in snakes, from which some lizards are almost indistinguishable in appearance. Most species have two pairs of developed five-fingered limbs, but in some cases only the front or back pair of legs is preserved, and the number of fingers can be reduced to four, three, two and one, or they are completely absent. Most lizards are characterized by incomplete ossification of the anterior part of the skull, the presence of an sometimes incompletely closed upper temporal arch, a strong fusion of the upper jaws with the rest of the cranial bones, and the presence of special columnar bones connecting the roof of the skull to its base. The jaws of lizards are equipped, as a rule, with well-developed single-apex or multi-apex teeth, which are attached from the inside (pleurodont) or to the outer edge (acrodont teeth). Often there are also teeth on the palatine, pterygoid, and some other bones. Often they are differentiated into false canines, incisors and molars.

The language of lizards is extremely diverse in structure, form, and partly in the function it performs. Wide, fleshy and relatively inactive in geckos and agamas, it is strongly elongated, deeply forked, very mobile and able to be drawn into a special vagina in monitor lizards. The bifurcation of the tongue observed in many species, combined with its high mobility, is associated, in addition to touch, also with the function of the Jacobson organ that opens inside the mouth. A short and thick tongue is often used when capturing prey, and in chameleons it is thrown far from the mouth for this. The skin of lizards is covered with horny scales, the nature and location of which varies greatly, which is of decisive importance for taxonomy. In many species, large scales located on the head and other parts of the body increase to the size of scutes, each of which receives a special name. Often on the head and body there are tubercles, spikes, horns, ridges or other horny outgrowths formed by modified scales and sometimes reaching considerable sizes in males. Some groups of lizards are characterized by the occurrence under the scales of the body and head of special bone plates - osteoderms, which, articulated with each other, can form a continuous bone shell. In all species, the upper horny layer of the scales is shed during periodic molts and is replaced by a new one. The shape and size of the tail is very diverse. As a rule, it gradually becomes thinner towards the end and differs in considerable length, noticeably exceeding the body and head combined. However, in some cases it is shortened like a blunt cone, thickened at the end in the form of a radish, flattened spatulately, or has another unusual shape. More often oval or round in cross section, it is often compressed in a horizontal or vertical plane in the form of an oar. Finally, in a number of lizards, the tail is tenacious or capable of twisting like a spiral. Many lizards have the ability to autotomy. The fracture occurs along a special non-ossified layer across one of the vertebrae, and not between them, where the connection is stronger. Soon the tail grows back, but the vertebrae are not restored, but are replaced by a cartilaginous rod, which is why a new separation is possible only higher than the previous one. Often the torn tail is not completely separated, but a new one nevertheless grows, resulting in the appearance of two-tailed and multi-tailed individuals. It is interesting that in many cases the scales of the reconstructed tail differ from the normal one, and moreover, it has features of more ancient species. The dry skin of lizards is devoid of glands, but some roundheads (Phrynocephalus) have real skin glands on their backs, the function of which is not entirely clear. In representatives of a number of families, on the lower surface of the thighs, the so-called femoral pores are arranged in rows - special iron-like formations, from which columns of hardened secretion protrude in males during the breeding season. In other species, such formations are located in front of the anus or on its sides, respectively, called the anal and inguinal pores.

The smallest known lizards (some geckos) reach a length of only 3.5-4 cm, while the largest monitor lizards grow at least up to 3 m, weighing 150 kg. As a rule, males are larger than females, but in some cases, females, on the contrary, are noticeably larger than males. The eyes of lizards are in most cases well developed and protected by eyelids, of which only the lower one is movable, while the upper one is greatly shortened and usually loses its mobility. Along with this, in many species, the moving eyelids are replaced by a solid transparent shell covering the eye like a watch glass, like in snakes. On the example of a number of species from various systematic groups, it is easy to trace the gradual stages of the transition from opaque separate eyelids to the appearance of a first transparent window in the still mobile lower eyelid and further to the complete fusion of the lower eyelid with the upper one and the formation of an already immovable window in it. Such fused eyelids are present in most nocturnal lizards - geckos, a number of legless and burrowing species, as well as in some skinks and other lizards, as well as a diurnal and nocturnal lifestyle. Nocturnal lizards, as a rule, have significantly enlarged eyes with a pupil in the form of a vertical slit with straight or sawtooth cut edges. In the retina of the eyes of diurnal lizards there are special elements of color vision - cones, thanks to which they are able to distinguish all colors of the solar spectrum. In most nocturnal species, light-sensitive elements are represented by rods, and the perception of colors is not available to them. As a rule, lizards have good hearing. The tympanic membrane may be located openly on the sides of the head, hidden under the scales of the body, or may be completely overgrown with skin, so that the external auditory opening disappears. Sometimes it, together with the tympanic cavity, is reduced, and the animal is able to perceive sound only in a seismic way, that is, by pressing its whole body against the substrate. Most lizards emit only a dull hiss or snort. More or less loud sounds - squeaking, clicking, chirping or croaking - are capable of producing different geckos, which is achieved with the help of a tongue or by rubbing horny scales against each other. In addition to geckos, some sand lizards (Psammodromus) can also “squeal” quite loudly. The sense of smell is less developed than other senses, but some lizards may well find prey by smell. The nostrils of many, especially desert species, are closed with special valves that prevent sand from entering the nasal cavity. Some lizards have a well-developed sense of taste and willingly drink, for example, sugar syrup, choosing it among tasteless solutions. However, their taste sensitivity to bitter substances is negligible. Many lizards have tactile hairs formed from keratinized cells of the upper layer of the skin and regularly located along the edges of individual scales. In different places of the trunk and head, in addition, special tactile spots are often located, on which sensitive cells are concentrated. Many lizards have a so-called third, or parietal, eye, usually noticeable as a small light spot in the center of one of the scutes covering the back of the head. In its structure, it somewhat resembles an ordinary eye and can perceive certain light stimuli, transmitting them along a special nerve to the brain. The coloration of lizards is extremely diverse and, as a rule, harmonizes well with the environment. In species that live in deserts, light, sandy tones predominate; lizards living on dark rocks often have a brown, almost black color, and lizards living on trunks and branches of trees are dotted with brown and brown spots resembling bark and moss. Many woody species are colored in the color of green foliage. A similar coloration is characteristic of a number of agamas, iguanas and geckos. The general coloration of the body largely depends on the nature of the pattern, which can be composed of individual symmetrically located spots, longitudinal or transverse stripes and rings, rounded eyes, or spots and specks randomly scattered throughout the body. In combination with the color of the main background of the body, these patterns further camouflage the animal in the surrounding area, hiding it from enemies. Diurnal species are characterized by very bright reds, blues and yellows, while nocturnal species are usually more uniformly colored. The coloration of some lizards varies significantly depending on sex and age, with males and juveniles usually more brightly colored. A number of species tend to quickly change color under the influence of changes in the environment or under the influence of internal states - excitement, fright, hunger, etc. This ability is inherent in some iguanas, geckos, agamas and other lizards.

Distribution and lifestyle.

The maximum number of lizard species lives in the tropical and subtropical zones of the globe, there are fewer of them in countries with a temperate climate, and the farther to the north and south, the more their number is declining. For example, only one species reaches the Arctic Circle - the viviparous lizard. The life of some lizards is closely connected with water, and although there are no real marine forms among lizards, one of them, the Galapagos iguana (Amblyrhynchus crislatus), penetrates the coastal waters of the ocean. In the mountains, lizards rise to the level of eternal snows, living at an altitude of up to 5000 m above sea level. Under specific environmental conditions, lizards acquire the corresponding features of specialization. So, in desert forms, special horny scallops develop on the sides of the fingers - sandy skis, which allow you to quickly move along the loose surface of the sand and dig holes. Lizards living in trees and rocks usually have long and prehensile limbs with sharp claws and often a prehensile tail that aids in climbing. Many geckos that spend their whole lives on vertical surfaces have special extensions on the underside of their fingers with tiny tenacious hairs that can attach to the substrate. In many limbless and burrowing lizards, the body is elongated serpentine. Such adaptations to certain living conditions in lizards are extremely different, and almost always they concern not only the features of the external structure or anatomy, but also affect many important physiological functions of the body associated with nutrition, reproduction, water metabolism, rhythm of activity, thermoregulation, etc. e. The optimal environmental temperature, most favorable for the life of lizards, lies in the range of 26--42 ° C, and in tropical and desert species it is higher than in the inhabitants of the temperate zone, and in nocturnal forms, as a rule, lower than in daytime . When the temperature rises above the optimum, the lizards hide in the shade, and when the limiting temperatures are established for a long time, they completely stop their activity, falling into the state of the so-called summer hibernation. The latter is often observed in desert and arid regions in the south. In temperate latitudes, lizards leave for wintering in autumn, which in different species lasts from 1.5-2 to 7 months a year. Often they overwinter several tens or even hundreds of individuals in one shelter.

In lizards, the transition from real crawling on the belly to a gradual lifting of the body above the substrate and, finally, to movement with the torso raised high on the legs is clearly traced. The inhabitants of open spaces tend to move at a fast trot, and many of them switch to running on two legs, which is observed not only in exotic, but also in some species of our fauna. It is curious that the South American iguana Basiliscus americanus can even run short distances in this state through the water, slapping its hind legs on its surface. The ability to run fast is combined, as a rule, with the presence of a long tail, which plays the role of a balancer, as well as a rudder for turns on the run. Many geckos move in very short dashes, staying in one place for a long time. Arboreal species develop the ability to climb, which often involves a prehensile tail. Finally, some specialized forms, such as flying dragons (Draco), are capable of gliding flight due to skin folds on the sides of the body, supported by highly elongated ribs. Many lizards jump well, grabbing prey on the fly. Some desert species have adapted to "swimming" in the thickness of the sand, in which they spend most of their lives.

Most lizards are predators, feeding on all kinds of animals that they are able to grab and overpower. The main food of small and medium-sized species are insects, spiders, worms, molluscs and other invertebrates. Larger lizards eat small vertebrates - rodents, birds and their eggs, frogs, snakes, other lizards, as well as carrion. A smaller number of lizards are herbivores. Their food consists of fruits, seeds and succulent parts of plants. The lizards slowly sneak up on the prey and then grab it in the final throw. As a rule, the prey is eaten whole, but may be preliminarily torn apart by the jaws. Like other reptiles, lizards are able to remain without food for a long time, consuming the nutrient reserves deposited in the fat bodies located in the body cavity. In many species, in particular in geckos, fat is also deposited in the tail, the size of which is greatly increased. Lizards drink water by licking it with their tongue or scooping it up with their lower jaw. Desert species are content with water in the body of the prey they eat, and in some of them it can accumulate in special sac-like formations located in the abdominal cavity. Desert iguanas of the genus Sauromalus on the sides of the body under the skin have special lymphatic sacs filled with a gelatinous fluid, which largely consists of water accumulated during rains and then slowly consumed during a long drought.

The lifespan of lizards varies greatly. In many relatively small species, it does not exceed 1-3 years, while large iguanas and monitor lizards live for 50-70 years or more. Some lizards survived for 20 - 30 and even 50 years in captivity. Most lizards benefit by eating a significant amount of harmful insects and invertebrates. The meat of some large species is quite edible, which is why they are often the object of a special trade, and the skin of these reptiles is also used by humans. In a number of countries, the capture and extermination of some lizards is prohibited by law. Currently, about 4000 species of various lizards are known, usually united in 20 families and almost 390 genera.