Scientific Name of Lizard

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Scientific Name of Select Lizards

Lizards are reptiles that fall under the order Squamata and class Reptilia. There are over 6,000 species of lizards spanning every continent except Antarctica. Lizards come in all shapes and sizes, and some are even legless. The smallest known species of lizard is the Sphaerodactylus ariasae, or also known as the Jaragua lizard, which was discovered on an island off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Adults measure between 0.63 to 0.71 inches in length.

On the other end of the spectrum is the Komodo Dragon (Varanus komodoensis), the largest living lizard in the world. The largest verified specimen reached a total body length of 10.3 feet and weighed over 160 kgs. Varanus komodoensis is found on the Indonesian Islands of Flores, Rinca, Gili Motang and Komodo. This lizard is the apex predator of its environment due to its sheer size. Moreover, the saliva of the komodo dragon is supposedly venomous, secreting a toxic cocktail of proteins as well as anticoagulants.

Another group of lizards that superficially resembles snakes are members of the family Pygopodidae. Hence, these animals are sometimes called legless lizards. Pygopodids are different from snakes because they possess a notched tongue rather than a forked tongue. Furthermore, Pygopodids have an external ear opening as well as eyelids.

• Slowworm – Anguis fragilis
• Komodo Dragon – Varanus komodoensis
• Common house gecko – Hemidactylus frenatus
• Rock monitor – Varanus albigularis
• Megalania – Varanus priscus (extinct)

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Also Read:

• Scientific Names of the Most Common Animals and Plants
• Reptilia – Characteristics And Classification
• Amphibia – Characteristics And Classifications
• Important Difference Between Amphibians and Reptiles