Lizards are cold-blooded reptiles. Since they cannot make their own body heat, they spend a lot of time out in the sun, staying warm. You will find them on fence posts, rocks, logs, pavement, fences, walls, and many more places. There are more than 3000 species of lizards, making them the largest group of reptiles. They have dry, scaly skin and clawed feet. Lizard tails are fragile and easily break off. This can be beneficial in that it allows the lizard to escape from predators. Some lizards use their tails to store fat reserves.

Most lizards eat insects. (They are insectivores.) Some are vegetarians and a few will eat small mammals and eggs.

They are found in tropical and sub-tropical habitats.

Lany lizards can defend themselves by biting and there are two species that are venomous. The scaly skin helps protect against predators. The chameleon can change its color to match that of its environment. This allows it to camouflage itself and hide from predators.

The largest lizard is the Komodo dragon.

Since they are, for the most part, lightweight animals, their tracks can be difficult to see unless you have the right conditions of soil and light. Sometimes the tail will leave a drag mark in the trail. You will find little scratches that indicate where the feet were placed. The long toes may, on occasion, be visible in the trail.

As a kid, I thought it was fun to catch the "blue-belly" lizards that frequented wood piles near my house. We found that, if you turned the lizard over and rubbed its belly, it would go to sleep. I don't know why that is, but it's pretty challenging to get a lizard to go to sleep in your hands.

Find lizard posters, greeting cards, t-shirts, hats, and more in my new store.