Lacertilia
Sign in to saveLizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.
AI overview
Lacertilia refers to lizards, a diverse group of over 7,000 reptile species found on every continent except Antarctica and on most island chains around the world. Lizards matter because they represent a major branch of reptile evolution and vary dramatically in size and adaptation, from tiny chameleons and geckos just a few centimeters long to the massive Komodo dragon reaching 3 meters in length.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Species
Suborder
- PhylumChordata
- OrderSquamata
Habitatbrackish, freshwater
via
Research
112 papersvia PubMed
Article
37 sectionsContents
- Anatomy
- Largest and smallest
- Distinguishing features
- Physiology
- Locomotion
- Senses
- Venom
- Respiration
- Reproduction and life cycle
- Aging
- Behaviour
- Diurnality and thermoregulation
- Territoriality
- Communication
- Defence
- Ecology
- Distribution and habitat
- Diet
- Antipredator adaptations
- Camouflage
- Autotomy
- Escape, playing dead, reflex bleeding
- Evolution
- Fossil history
- Phylogeny
- External
- Internal
- Taxonomy
- Convergence
- Relationship with humans
- Interactions and uses by humans
- In culture
- Notes
- References
- General sources
- Further reading
- External links
Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes (and to a lesser extent amphisbaenians), encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.
Most lizards are quadrupedal, running with a strong side-to-side motion. Some lineages (known as "legless lizards") have secondarily lost their legs, and have long snake-like bodies. Some lizards, such as the forest-dwelling Draco, are able to glide. They are often territorial, the males fighting off other males and signalling, often with bright colours, to attract mates and to intimidate rivals. Lizards are mainly carnivorous, often being sit-and-wait predators; many smaller species eat insects, while the Komodo eats mammals as big as water buffalo.