To date, scientists have established that lizards – this is the largest group among the class Reptiles (Reptiles). Very often we call the lizards of those who are not. We are used to that lizards are all representatives of reptiles who run on four legs and have a long tail. But you will be surprised to learn that scientists are referred to lizards, mostly only representatives of the family of true lizards, and the rest of them like agamas, skinks, monitor lizards, iguanas and geckos are a completely different group.
Let’s take a closer look at these lizards. These reptiles are of medium size, although there are very small species among them. Basically, the length of the body of lizards reaches from 20 to 40 cm. Only a pearl lizard can grow up to 80 centimeters. But a separate group in a family of real lizards, called lizards, measures about 10 centimeters.
Real lizards differ from themselves similar (other reptiles) mobile ages. For example, snakes can not boast of such a device, because their eyelids are fused. All lizards have an oblong body and a long narrow tail. Another distinguishing feature of lizards is the natural ability to autotomy. What it is?
This is the famous tail throwing, which even small children know about! In general, the scientific substantiation of the term autotomy sounds like a disposition to “self-mutilation”, i.e. willful self-mutilation.
