Lizards are perhaps the most common animal species on earth. They are found on all continents and continents except Antarctica. These, in addition, are the most ancient creatures that live on our planet. In Japan, for example, the remains of an ancient herbivorous lizard were found, having an age of 130 million years, and the fossil reptile found in Scotland, which was identified as a lizard, has an even more venerable age - 340 million years!
In the article we will consider these amazing descendants of dinosaurs, find out how lizards breed, and much more.
Why are lizards reptiles?
To date, about 9, 400 representatives of the reptile class are known, and one of them is the lizard. Anyone who has watched this brisk creature move has probably already understood why he is assigned to this class. The lizard, like its other relatives: snakes, turtles or crocodiles, moves, clinging to the ground with its stomach, "closing" with it. The exception is only the amazing basilisk (Basiliscus), which are able to run on water, and even on two hind legs, with its tail up and pressing its front legs to the abdomen.
Similar to all reptiles and the method of reproduction, a characteristic feature of which is internal fertilization. Females, as a rule, lay already fertilized eggs, which have a high yolk content and are covered with a leathery (like most lizards) or calcareous (like turtles or crocodiles) shells. The eggs of the lizard in the clutch can be in the amount of one or two, or several dozen pieces.
It's a delicacy
By the way, in Colombia, lizard eggs are considered a delicious delicacy. For local cuisine, Iguana eggs are mainly used. Hunters look for a female of this species, which has lost its agility due to eggs ready for laying, they catch it and make an incision on its belly. Eggs are carefully removed from it, and wood ash is rubbed into the wound, after which the iguana is released.
Of course, you can trace where this lizard laying eggs delivers a nest and wait for them to appear naturally, but the locals consider this too troublesome. Therefore, they make the animal a "cesarean section." By the way, monitor lizards are considered no less tasty.
How babies of a viviparous lizard are born
Usually a lizard lays eggs in secluded places: sand, soil, among stones or decaying leaves, and in due time from them already fully formed miniature copies of their parents are born. By the way, in some species of lizards, especially those living in the northern latitudes, the calves are selected from the shell immediately after laying by the mother of the eggs, since the development of the embryo occurs already in the female’s body, which prevents it from overcooling.
It is interesting to observe how this process occurs. The lizard, before the moment of birth, during the day becomes restless, scratches the ground, bends its tail on its back, and finally, by the evening, the first baby in the shell is born. Two minutes later, a second, third and so on is born. Moreover, each time after laying, the female takes a step forward, from which the babies lie in line behind her. An hour later, all of them are already selected from the shell and hidden in cracks in the ground, where they sit, curled their tails until they are hungry.
True, these representatives of reptiles are not very caring mothers - after the lizard lays its eggs, it usually does not return to them. And if sometimes it still comes to the place of masonry, then only to eat part of the shells of the eggs.
There are truly viviparous females!
But not always the lizard lays eggs even for such a short period. For example, in South America, skinks from the genus Mabuya live, which can be attributed to the truly viviparous. The female skink hatches in the oviducts tiny, without yolk, eggs that are most likely fed through the maternal placenta (it is temporarily formed on the walls of the oviduct of the lizard). Here, the female capillaries come close enough to the capillaries of the embryos to provide them with oxygen and nutrition.
And the representatives of the Peruvian variable iguanas (Liolaemus multiformis) live on the highlands, in the Cordilleras, sometimes at an altitude of up to 5000 meters, where snow falls even in summer. And so that the babies do not die, the female gives birth to live cubs who have gone through the entire development process in her womb.
Yes, lizards are very interesting creatures that never cease to amaze researchers!
How basilisk is born
Talking about lizards, one cannot but mention basilisks, namely, representatives of the species Basiliskus basiliscus, which have the ability to run on water. They have a water speed of up to 12 km / h, overcoming up to 400 meters. The people for such a talent, these reptiles are called Christ lizards.
At the same time, basilisks prefer to live in the stuffy humid forests of Nicaragua and Costa Rica only on the crowns of trees growing along the banks of rivers and lakes. But because of the special timidity, the basilisk rushes to the ground from any noise or suspicion of danger, jumping from branches directly into the water.
In the rainy season, a pregnant female searches for a hidden place for masonry, descends for this from a tree and, falling a muzzle to the ground, determines where humidity and temperature will be most suitable. Lizard eggs in the sand or under the leaves lie for about 10 weeks, after which the babies pierce them with a special egg tooth, which later falls out.
What is parthenogenesis
And in Armenia, rock lizards live that breed without the participation of males. Only females hatch from eggs and in the same way can breed absolutely independently.
This phenomenon in nature is called "parthenogenesis." Interestingly, in other habitats of this species, the lizard lays eggs, fertilized already with the help of males. By the way, according to scientists, in the clutches of such lizards you can find eggs with dead male embryos. Why this happens is not yet clear.
By the way, Komodos monitor lizards also have the ability to parthenogenesis due to the limited number of individuals and a small habitat.
A quick lizard can be seen nearby.
The most numerous genus is Lacerta agillis, the so-called fast lizards. They live throughout Europe and Asia. Everyone probably saw them, because they settle in sunny glades, in personal plots or in places where there is less vegetation, so that it is easier to take sun baths.
From March to June, the lizards begin their mating season, and, having become emerald, the males go in search of beautiful ladies (which, incidentally, look very modest). Oval, up to 1.5 cm long, leathery eggs of the common lizard are found in a dug mink for about 9 weeks, after which babies 6 cm long appear, which have a darker color than their parents.
From baby to giant
The smallest of the lizard squad is the round-toed gecko, which lives in India. It weighs only 1 gram, and the length of this crumbs is 33 mm.
By the way, the reproduction of lizards of this species occurs only when there is a lot of water around. A female round-toed gecko lays one tiny, regular round egg that does not exceed 6 mm in diameter. Moreover, it is interesting that often several females simultaneously choose the same place for masonry. Not leathery, like most lizards, but the calcareous shell of this egg hardens very quickly in the air and becomes incredibly fragile. True, to find these masonry due to the tiny size is almost impossible. They can be in all kinds of gaps, and in abandoned termite mounds.
But the Komodos monitor lizard, who lives in Indonesia, is a giant, allowing you to immediately remember that lizards are direct descendants of dinosaurs. It reaches 3 meters in length and weighs 135 kg. Faced with such a whopper, anyone will try to get away faster. True, the huge size did not prevent this lizard from becoming the smallest - now there are only 200 representatives of this species.
