Sauria is the family of lizards. Lizards are reptiles. A lizard has dry scaly skin and clawed toes. They are cold blooded. So they must live in places that have a climate. They are mostly found in deserts and in some tropic areas. Lizards lie in the sun to absorb heat to maintain a level body temperature. If it gets too hot, they lie under a rock or bush for shade to cool down. People all over the world, wherever lizards can be found, hunt them for their skins to make wallets or handbags. And in some countries, people hunt lizards for food. Lizards have many predators. They range from birds of prey, or carnivorous mammals, snakes, and even other lizards.

 

Lizards have many defenses against their enemies. For instance, some lizards can easily detach their tails to act as a decoy to give them time to escape. Others swell up, hiss, or lash their tails around. The African Chameleon changes colors to blend in with its surroundings. Horned lizards have spikes along their heads and backs, making it really difficult to eat.

 

A lizard’s diet is different with every species. Small lizards eat arthropods like insects and spiders. Other species, like the Iguana, are herbivores. It feeds on algae gathered on rocks during low tide. Larger lizards are carnivores; they eat smaller vertebrates and other lizards. Most female lizards lay their eggs in a nest. They may stay and protect the eggs until they hatch. Others give birth to live young. They leave the newborns to care for themselves. There are three thousand, eight hundred species of lizard known worldwide. The largest is the Komodo dragon and the smallest is the Caribbean gecko.