Lizards

General Lizards

Field Guides to Lizards
Species records for 80 lizards, including a photograph, description, breeding, habitat, range, discussion, and more, from eNature.com.

Lizards
Basic facts about lizards for younger students from EnchantedLearning.com. Includes Frilled Lizard printout.

Reptiles of Washington
Scroll down to see the Burke Musuem's list of the 7 native lizard species in Washington, with detailed information available on a few of them.

Order Squamata
The Animal Diversity Web provides links to detailed information about many different species of lizards, including these major families.
Agamidae (Frilled & Flying Lizards)
Anguidae (Glass & Alligator Lizards)
Chamaeleonidae (Chameleons)
Gekonidae (Geckos)
Iguanidae (Iguanas)
Teiidae (Racerunners & Whiptails)
Varanidae (Monitors &Komodo Dragons)

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Alligator Lizards

Alligator Lizard
Brief facts from the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Northern Alligator Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range, discussion and information about this species in specific regions, from eNature.com.

Reptiles of Washington: Elgaria multicarinata, Southern Alligator Lizard
Description, distribution, habitat, cool biology and conservation from the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

Southern Alligator Lizard
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status factsheet on this "ornery" lizard from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

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Anole Lizards

Anolis carolinensis
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history and economic importance for humans, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Anolis equestris
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history and economic importance for humans, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Brown Anole
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range, discussion and regional information from eNature.com.

Brown Anole
Description, food, habitat, range, lifespan, breeding and notes from the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary at Audubon.com.

Green Anole
Description, food, habitat, range, lifespan, breeding and notes from the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary at Audubon.com.

Green Anole
An introduction to this small lizard from Everglade National Park.

Green Anole
A detailed article from Thomas A. Jenssen, Biology Department, Virginia Tech.

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Basilisks

A walk on the wild side...
A brief discussion of how Basilisk lizards run on water, from the Institute of Education, University of London.

Basiliscus vittatus (Striped Basilisk)
Geographic range, physical characteristics and natural history from the Animal Diversity Web.

Basilisk
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

Basilisk Lizards
An online slideshow featuring information on species types, appearnace, geegraphy, habitat, locomition, diet behavior, eneimes, breeding, sightings and more. A supervised presentation by Amanda Pinkney, Westminster College, supervised by Dr. Ann Throckmorton, Associate
professor of Biology.

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Bearded Dragons

Bearded Dragon
A detailed factsheet on the Bearded Dragon from the Oakland Zoo.

Common Bearded Dragon
Description, distribution and behavior from Australia' Lamington National Park.

Eastern Water Dragon and Eastern Bearded Dragon
Appearance, characteristics and territorial behavior from Burke's Backyard, New South Wales.

Pogona vitticeps, Inland Bearded Dragon, Central Bearded Dragon
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans, and conservation status from the Animal Diversity Web.

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Chameleons

Chameleon
An introduction to the chameleons of Africa from Wildwatch, an online publication of Conservation Corporation Africa, one of Africa's most comprehensive eco-tourism companies.

A Truly Bizarre Lizard
A detailed introduction to the chameleons of Madagascar, from PBS' "Living Edens" sites.

Veiled Chameleon
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

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Collared & Leopard Lizards

Black-collared Lizards
Range, habitat, habits, life cycle and description, from DesertUSA.

Crotaphytus vestigium, Baja California Collared Lizard
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

Gambelia copei, Cope's Leopard Lizard
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

Gambelia wislizenii, Long-nosed Leopard Lizard
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

Longnose Leopard Lizard
Basic facts from the California Living Museum (CALM).

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Fence Lizards

Western Fence Lizard
Description, subspecies, range and habitat, and natural history, from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

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Frilled Lizards

Chlamydosaurus kingii (Frilled Lizard, Frillneck Lizard)
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans, and conservation status from the Animal Diversity Web.

Frilled Lizard
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

Frilled Lizard
A basic factsheet from the Australian Reptile Park.

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Geckos

All About Geckos
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

Coleonyx variegatus, Western Banded Gecko
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status from the San Diego Natural istory Museum's online field guide.

Gekko gecko, Tokay Gecko
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans, and conservation, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Gecko's Amazing Sticky Feet
An in-depth look at the gecko's unique characteristics, from a BBC News online article, June 7, 2000.

Palmatogecko rangei, Namib Web-Footed Gecko
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans, and conservation, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Phelsuma ornata, Ornate Day Gecko
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans, and conservation, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Round Island Day Gecko (Phelsuma quentheri)
Physical description, special adaptations, feeding/diet, breeding/reproduction, geographic range, threats to survival, conservation efforts, and more, from the Wild Ones, The Children's Education Program of Wildlife Trust.

Tiny Gecko is 'world's smallest'
A brief article on the world's smallest reptile, from BBC news online, December 3, 2001.

Western Banded Gecko
Distinguishing features, range, habitat, life history and more, from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Western Banded Gecko
Range, habitat, description, behavior, life cycle, and related and subspecies, from DesertUSA.

Western Banded Gecko
Description, subspecies, voice, breeding, habitat, range, discussion, and regional information from eNature.com.

What Makes Geckos Sticky?
A Time for Kids article from September 20, 2002 answers this question.

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Gila Monsters & Mexican Beaded Lizards

Gila Monster
Range, habitat, behavior, life cycle and description of one of the only two venomous lizards on earth, from DesertUSA.com.

Gila Monster
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

Gila Monster
Basic facts from the California Living Museum (CALM).

Gila Monster
Physical characteristics, range, habitat, diet, reproduction, lifespan, social habits, special adaptations and conservation status, from the Nashville Zoo.

Gila Monster (Heloderma Suspectum)
Distinguishing features, range, habitat, life history and more, from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

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Girdled & Plated Lizards

Giant Plated Lizard
Brief facts from the Oakland Zoo.

Great Plated Lizard
Physical characteristics, distribution and habitat, behavior and diet from the Honolulu Zoo.

Sudan Plated Lizard
Brief facts from the Oakland Zoo.

Yellow-throated Plated Lizard
Physical characteristics, distribution and habitat, behavior, diet and more from the Honolulu Zoo.

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Horned "Toads"

Coast Horned Lizard
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status, from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

Horned Lizard
Description, range and habitat, habits, life cycle and current status, from DesertUSA.

Horned Lizards
Distinguishing features, range, habitat, life history, and additional comments from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

Phrynosoma cornutum, Texas Horned Lizard, Texas Horned Toad
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans, and conservation status from the Animal Diversity Web.

Phrynosoma douglassii, Short-horned Lizard
Brief facts - description, distribution, habitat, cool biology facts and conservation status - from the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture.

The Texas Horned Lizard
Physical description; general information; special anatomical, physiological or behavioral adaptations; vulnerability and more, from the Fort Worth Zoo.

What is a Horned Lizard?
Answers to this question, from the Horned Lizard Conservation Society of Austin, Texas.

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Komodo Dragons & other monitors

Komodo Dragon
Physical characteristics, distribution and habitat, behavior, diet, reproduction and growth and status, from the Honolulu Zoo. Includes a link to a short online video of Komodo babies.

The Komodo Dragon
A detailed article on the Komodo Dragon, its past, way of life, and future, by Claudio Ciogi for Scientific American.com.

Komodo Dragon
Species description and range, natural history, causes of endangerment, conservation actions, from the Endangered Earth Project and Bagheera.com.

Komodo Dragon
Brief facts and line drawing from the Canadian Museum of Nature.

Komodo Dragon
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

Ora (Komodo Island Monitor or Komodo Dragon)
Fascinating facts about the Ora, or the Komodo Dragon, from the American Museum of Natural History.

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Legless Lizards

Florida Worm Lizard
Description, breeding, habitat, range and discussion, from eNature.com.

Thumbnails to Victorian Legless Lizard Live Images
Links to images of the various worm lizard species that live in Victoria Australia, from Museum Victoria.

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Slowworms

Slow Worm
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

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Night Lizards

Desert Night Lizard
Brief factsheet from the California Living Museum (CALM).

Desert Night Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range, discussion, and links to regional information about this species from eNature.com.

Granite Night Lizard
Basic facts from the USGS Western Ecological Research Center, San Diego Field Station.

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Sailfin Lizards

Philippine Sailfin Lizard
Brief facts from the Oregon Zoo.

Philippine Sailfin Lizard
Basic information including description, habitat, diet and reproduction from the Austrailian Reptile Park.

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Skinks

Blue-tongued Skink
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

Blue-tongued Skink
Information on skinks in general, physical characteristics, behavior, diet, and reproduction and growth, from the Honolulu Zoo.

Broadheaded skink, Eumeces laticeps
An introduction to this species of skink from the Savannah River Ecology Laboratory Outreach. Information also available as a .pdf file.

Prehensile-tailed Skink
Description, range, status, habitat, niche, life history and special adaptations, from the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Solomon Islands Tree Skink
Physical characteristics, distribution and habitat, behavior, diet, reproduction and growth, and wild population, from the Honolulu Zoo.

Striped Skink: Mysterious Reptile
Ecology and habitat, population and range, threats and causes of decline, and recovery information, from New Zealand's Department of Conservation.

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Spiny Lizards, Swifts, Earless Lizards

Clark's Spiny Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range and discussion from eNature.com.

Desert Spiny Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range, discussion and regional species information from eNature.com.

Greater Earless Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range and discussion from eNature.com.

Keeled Earless Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range and discussion from eNature.com.

Lesser Earless Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range, discussion and regional species information from eNature.com.

Mountain Spiny Lizard
Description, subspecies, breeding, habitat, range, discussion and regional species information from eNature.com.

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Spiny-tailed Lizards

Bent's Spiny-tailed Lizard
Basic facts including description, food, habitat and social structure, from thebigzoo.com.

Spiny-Tailed Lizard
Physical description; general information; special anatomical, physiological, or behavioral adaptations; and links to additional information from the Fort Worth Zoo.

Spiny-tailed Lizard (Uromastix microlepis)
Brief unique facts from the Ministry of Information and Culture in the United Arab Emirates.

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Whiptails & Racerunners

Cnemidophorus sexlineatus, Six-lined Racerunner
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans and conservation facts, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Great Basin Whiptail
Basic facts from the California Living Museum (CALM).

Whiptails
Distinguishing features, range, habitat, life history and lizard displays, from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

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Thorny Devils

Australia's Thorny Devil
A detailed article from Eric R. Pianka, Denton A. Cooley Centennial Professor of Zoology.

Thorny Devil
An introduction to this lizard from Blue Planet Biomes, an educational site developed and created by Elisabeth Benders-Hyde, a science aide at the West Tisbury School in Massachusetts, and sixth grade teachers, Ann and Karl Nelson.

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True Iguanas

Iguana
Encyclopedia entry from the Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th edition, 2003, at Encyclopedia.com.

Iguanas
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

What is an Iguana? Let's Take a Closer Look
A detailed introduction to the iguana, from the San Diego Zoo.

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Chuckwallas

Chuckwalla
Basic facts from the California Living Museum (CALM).

Chuckwalla
Description, breeding, habitat, range and discussion and regional information, from eNature.com.

Chuckwallas
Range, habitat and description from DesertUSA.

Sauromalus ater, Common Chuckwalla
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

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Desert Iguanas

Desert Iguana
Range, habitat and description from DesertUSA.com.

Desert Iguana
Description, breeding, habitat, range and discussion and regional information, from eNature.com.

Desert Iguana
Description, range and habitat, natural history and conservation status factsheet from the San Diego Natural History Museum's online field guide.

Desert Iguana (Dipsosaurus dorsalis)
Distinguishing features, range, habitat and life history, from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

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Galapagos Iguanas

Amblyrhynchus cristatus, Marine Iguana
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans and conservation facts, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Conolophus subcristatus, Land Iguana
Geographic range, physical characteristics, natural history, economic importance for humans and conservation facts, from the Animal Diversity Web.

Land Iguanas: A Natural History
An overview of the land iguana from the Charles Darwin Foundation.

Marine Iguana
An introduction to this large and unique Galapagos Islands lizard, from Dr. Robert H. Rothman at the Rochester Institute of Technology.

Marine Iguanas
Photos and facts on the Marine Iguana from Cornell University's Earth and Atmosphere Science Department.

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Green Iguanas

Green Iguana
Basic fact sheet from the Forth Worth Zoo.

Green Iguana
Physical appearance, geographic range, adaptations, habitat, behavior, reproductive cycle and family habits, diet, threats to survival, conservation efforts and quick facts, from The Wild Ones, the Children's Educational Program of Wildlife Trust, a USA-based wildlife conservation organization founded in 1971.

Green Iguanas
Basic information and a printout for younger students, from EnchantedLearning.com.

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Rhinoceros Iguanas

Animal Fact File
Brief facts and a photo from the Bristol Zoo.

The Rhinoceros Iguana
Basic information from the Fort Worth Zoo.

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Water Dragons

Eastern Water Dragon
A fact sheet from Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodges,Lake Eacham, Atherton Tableland,
Tropical North Queensland, Australia.

Eastern Water Dragon
Description, habitat, diet and reproduction from the Australian Reptile Park in New South Wales.

Yes, there are dragons in the Gardens...
A brief introduction to the Gippsland Water Dragon, a subspecies of the Eastern Water Dragon, from the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

Water Dragons
Appearance, characteristics and territorial behavior from Burke's Backyard Online.

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Last Updated: April 21, 2011