There are few animals on earth which have as frightening an appearance for their size as some lizards! Yet of all the more than 2,500 different kinds of lizards, only two are-actually poisonous. These are the Gila monster, which lives in American deserts, and the beaded lizard of Mexico.

Lizards are closely related to snakes, and, like snakes, are cold-blooded reptiles with scaly skins. Unlike the snakes, however, their long bodies are usually divided into three distinct parts; head, trunk, and tail. Most species have four legs.

With so many different kinds of lizards, we naturally find many exceptions. For instance, some lizards have no legs at all and look exactly like snakes. They also have a peculiar power, common to many lizards, which is quite useful in a fight with the enemy. They are able to break off their tails! This often enables a lizard to escape while the enemy stops to chew up the tail. Later, the lizard grows a new tail!

Although most lizards are hatched from eggs, a few are born alive. Most lizards feed on insects, but a few of the larger species eat birds and small animals. Lizards are most common in the tropical regions, but they can be found all over the world with the exception of the Arctic regions.

Wherever lizards live, they adapt themselves remarkably well to their natural surroundings. For example, the lizards which live among grass or trees are brightly colored, while those which live in the desert are colored dull gray or brown to match the sand. The chameleon, which is a kind of lizard, can even change its color to match its surroundings.

Lizards vary greatly in size. There are some which live in Central America which are less than 8 centimeters long. There are others called ‘monitors’, which are more than 2 meters long. In the East Indies there are lizards called “dragons” which are as much as 3 meters long, and must be a frightening sight, indeed. These dragons can easily kill a large animal with one lash of their long, strong tails.

Lizards love the burning heat of the sun. So those that live in cooler climates simply sleep through the winter, hiding themselves away to escape the cold.