Reptiles, amazingly, have been living on our planet for somewhere around 200 million years. Reptiles are commonly characterized by several features: they have lungs to breathe, they are vertebrates, which means they have a backbone and an internal skeleton, and they are covered with scales or plates of some kind. Reptiles are also considered “cold-blooded” which means that their bodies do not have a thermostat to maintain their temperature; they depend upon the ambient temperature of their environment for body heat.

There are almost 6000 species of reptiles, but the largest group, by far, is the lizards, with somewhere around 3000 currently known species. The majority of lizards are quadrupeds, but there are a few that just have 2 legs and some that don’t have any. Lizards can range in size from 2-inches to 10-feet in length and are the most widespread of the reptiles, geographically speaking. Unlike other classes of reptiles, there are only two poisonous species: the Gila Monster and the Beaded Lizards.

Did you know?

• That Central Americans eat the common iguana? It is called “gallina del palo”, which means “chicken of the tree” and they love the flavor.
• That lizards can sense the difference between night and day by a primitive third eye on top of their heads?
• That the Texas horned lizards can squirt blood, hitting an enemy up to 10-feet away-from their eyes?
• That when threatened, Basilisks, a 4-legged lizard, can actually run on their two hind legs, building up enough speed to run on water?
• That lizards steer with their tail?
• That some lizards’ tongues are actually longer than the length of their body?
• That the Gecko is the only lizard known to have a voice?
• That lizards are able to constrict or dilate their pupils at will, not depending upon light?

It is expected that lizards, as a class, will never become extinct, though individual species may cease to exist. The Komodo Dragon and the Coachella Valley Fringe-toed Lizard are both on the endangered list, as are a number of lizards. Many of them are endangered due to the use of their skin for leather products, while some are just not able to compete with the human for habitat. You can learn more by searching ‘endangered lizard species’.

Along with writing online articles, Joseph enjoys working in his gardens. Garden Harvest Supply is one of his favorite garden sites which offer diatomaceous earth and perma mulch recycled rubber mulch mats.

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