jupitersterrain four

Other lizards combine cryptic coloring with sudden movement and sudden stops. The western leaf lizard,Stenocercus fimbriatus, looks like a dead leaf, patterned in two shades of brown. It's a fast lizard, moving suddenly out of harm's way. But as you follow it with your eyes, it suddenly disappears and you cannot relocate it. The lizard has made a headlong dash away from you but has stopped less than 3 feet away. Hidden among the dead leaves on the forest floor, it is invisible as you search in vain 4 feet away. If you get too close, it may make another short dash, only to stop after moving just a few feet




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gecko,has tiny teeth but jaws strong enough to crush the skull of a mouseIt tightens up at intervals, so you're reminded that there is a lizard biting the end of your fingerBy the time it does let go, the end of your finger is numb


Iguanian lizards are typically referred to as “sit-and-wait” predators. The true chameleons are the most extreme examples of this mode of foraging; they move slowly, scan the habitat with eyes that move independently of one another, and capture their prey by shooting out a sticky projectile tongue


In contrast, autarchoglossan lizards (the non-gecko scleroglossan lizards such as amphisbaenians, skinks, whiptails, and others) actively search for prey by probing and digging, using their well-developed chemosensory system in a process called vomerolfaction, as well as visual cues. These lizards do not use the tongue to capture prey; rather, they grab their prey in their jaws (jaw prehension). As a result, the tongue is free for use as an organ of chemoreception


Large, colourful horns and other forms of conspicuous head and body ornamentation are often restricted to males, but females of many species defend their territories by employing stereotyped movements similar to those of males. A displaying male that stands out against his surroundings is vulnerable to predation; however, territoriality is evidently advantageous and has evolved through natural selection. Territories are usually associated with limited resources (such as nest sites, food, and refuges from predators), and a male that possesses a territory will likely attract females. Thus, he will have a higher probability of reproductive success than one living in a marginal area. The displays used by males in establishing territories may also function to “advertise” their presence to females; in species that breed seasonally, territoriality typically diminishes during the nonbreeding season. In iguanids, actual courtship displays differ from territorial displays in that males approach females with pulsating, jerky movements