Life Cycles of Lizards
Lizards are reptiles that are closely related to snakes and range in size from the half- inch members of the gecko family to the 10 foot-long Komodo dragons. Nearly 5,000 species of lizards inhabit all areas of the world except the coldest. Longevity ranges from three to 50 years.
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Homes
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Alert lizard Most lizards are ground dwellers, but some live in trees, burrows or even, like marine iguanas, in the water. A few burrow-dwelling species have evolved into legless, snake-like lizards as an adaptation to the challenges of moving underground.
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Mating
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Lizard on the move. Male lizards display unusual behaviors and physical features to attract females. Some species bob their heads up and down, while others inflate a brightly colored sack around their throat.
Reproduction
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Green bronchocela cristatella lizard Most lizards lay soft-shelled eggs, although some skinks give birth to live young. Most species do not incubate their eggs or tend to their babies.
Babies
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Water monitor Babies look like miniature versions of adults and are able to feed and care for themselves. In larger species, lizards can take 18 months to mature. Young lizards face many predators, including birds, mammals and other reptiles.
Shedding Skin
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Lizard skin does not grow with the body's growth. Lizards shed or molt old skin, which is replaced by new, larger skin. Unlike snakes, which shed old skin in one piece, lizards shed skin in patches.
Diet
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Most lizards are insect eaters, but some are carnivores that eat mammals, birds and other reptiles. Vegetarian species eat leaves, fruits and flowers.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Monitor Lizard" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: twoblueday (gerry) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "His majesty surveys his domain" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: gailf548 under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Lizard" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: tinyfroglet under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Green Bronchocela Cristatella Lizard." is Copyrighted by Flickr user: NeilsPhotography (Neil) under the Creative Commons Attribution license. "Mertens' Water Monitor (Varanus mertensi)" is Copyrighted by Flickr user: cliff1066™ (Cliff) under the Creative Commons Attribution license.
