Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 46 views

    Lizards

    Uploaded by

    Thomas Wang
    Lizards are one of the most diverse groups of reptiles, with over 5,000 species inhabiting almost every continent. They have existed for over 200 million years, since before the extinction of dinosaurs. Lizards come in all sizes, from those only a few centimeters long to the three meter long Komodo dragon. Chameleons are a specialized type of lizard known for their independently mobile eyes and ability to change color to match their surroundings. Lizards fill important ecological roles as both predators and prey in many ecosystems.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Lizards

    Uploaded by

    Thomas Wang
    46 views2 pages
    Lizards are one of the most diverse groups of reptiles, with over 5,000 species inhabiting almost every continent. They have existed for over 200 million years, since before the extinction of dinosaurs. Lizards come in all sizes, from those only a few centimeters long to the three meter long Komodo dragon. Chameleons are a specialized type of lizard known for their independently mobile eyes and ability to change color to match their surroundings. Lizards fill important ecological roles as both predators and prey in many ecosystems.

    Copyright

    © Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)

    Available Formats

    RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    Lizards are one of the most diverse groups of reptiles, with over 5,000 species inhabiting almost every continent. They have existed for over 200 million years, since before the extinction of dinosaurs. Lizards come in all sizes, from those only a few centimeters long to the three meter long Komodo dragon. Chameleons are a specialized type of lizard known for their independently mobile eyes and ability to change color to match their surroundings. Lizards fill important ecological roles as both predators and prey in many ecosystems.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as rtf, pdf, or txt
    46 views2 pages

    Lizards

    Uploaded by

    Thomas Wang
    Lizards are one of the most diverse groups of reptiles, with over 5,000 species inhabiting almost every continent. They have existed for over 200 million years, since before the extinction of dinosaurs. Lizards come in all sizes, from those only a few centimeters long to the three meter long Komodo dragon. Chameleons are a specialized type of lizard known for their independently mobile eyes and ability to change color to match their surroundings. Lizards fill important ecological roles as both predators and prey in many ecosystems.

    Copyright:

    Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
    Download as RTF, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as rtf, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 2

    Thomas Wang EN1B

    Lizards
    With a body-length ranging from the width of a fingernail to the length of a car, Lizards are one of the most diverse groups of reptiles. These ancient creatures have inhabited earth for over 200 million years; more than enough to witness the extinction of thier feared cousins, the dinosaurs. Lizards are very adaptable. With over 5000 different species, lizards can be found on almost every continent of the world. Natural history Having the classic "reptilian" tetrapod body form, makes it easy to confuse similar animals with lizards. However lizards as squamates (scaled reptiles) are in fact part of a well-defined group. Although the evolutionary relationships within the squamates order have not yet been fully worked out; it is widely believed that the first lizards evolved from a closely related group called Rhynchocephalia. This divergence most likely occured during the Triassic period, around 220 million years ago, which is also about how far the earliest known fossil remains of a lizard dates back to. Complexity From the centimeter long geckos to the three meter long Komodo dragon, the most interesting lizard is not known for its size, but rather for its physical complexity and unique ability. The chameleon belongs to a highly specialized branch of lizards. Distinguished by their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, many chameleons possess the ability to change color according to the environment. Color changing chameleons have transparent skin, with cells containing different pigments underneath. This ability in chameleons has functions in social signaling, reactions to the environment and camouflage. Life-cycle The lifespan of lizards varies dramatically. Some species have a relatively short longevity of 3 years while others can live up to 50 years. During mating season, male lizards display strange behaviors and unusual physical features to attract females. Some lizards bob their heads up and down, while others inflate a brightly colored sack around their throat. Most species lay soft-shelled eggs, although some do give birth to live young. Most parents do not incubate their eggs or tend to their babies. The offspring look like miniature versions of the adult lizards and are able to feed and care for themselves. In some larger species however, lizards can take 18 months to mature. Young lizards face many predators, such as birds, mammals and other reptiles. Niche The reason lizards have survived for so long, is because of the diversity and adaptablity of the species. Throughout the history, lizards have been a important component of the food webs in most ecosystems. They have filled important roles both as predator and prey species. They generally have an average place in thier

    ecosystems, with the exception of the Komodo Dragon (which is top predator). Thier main role, like most reptiles, is insect and rodent control. The removal of lizards or in fact, any species from its ecosystem can dramatically alter the populations of other organisms. References http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chameleon http://www.ehow.com/about_6587593_importance-reptiles-ecosystem.html

    You might also like

    pFad - Phonifier reborn

    Pfad - The Proxy pFad of © 2024 Garber Painting. All rights reserved.

    Note: This service is not intended for secure transactions such as banking, social media, email, or purchasing. Use at your own risk. We assume no liability whatsoever for broken pages.


    Alternative Proxies:

    Alternative Proxy

    pFad Proxy

    pFad v3 Proxy

    pFad v4 Proxy