What's your opinion on Lizards? Know any fun facts about them by chance?
I love lizards, mainly because of the fact that there are so many different ones out there to see. You have over 6,000 of these squamate reptiles to study, and you can find them on all continents except Antarctica. Almost all of us have a chance to enjoy their presence.
Have you ever owned one? Is there any risks to owning one that you know of?
I've never owned one. There are a few risks, as some of them are not exactly "pet-friendly," since they have antipredator adaptations, things like venom, and reflex bleeding, along with other non-painful tactics like camouflage and being able to sacrifice their own tails and regrow them to escape!
Interesting! I'll have to rethink owning one then. Do you happen to know what the deadliest one is?
Most lizards are carnivorous, and a trait about them is they are known as "sit-and-wait" predators. But most of them can be satisfied with small insects... except the Komodo dragon, which can eat mammals as big as water buffalo.
As big as a water buffalo? That's insane! What region do Komodo dragons reside in?
They're mainly found in the Indonesian islands of the aptly named Komodo Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Padar. It's key you know they grow up islands, because their large size comes from island gigantism, meaning there are no other carnivorous animals to fill their niche on the islands they're from!
So they are king of their domain in that region. Do you know anything about iguanas?
Well, for example, the green iguana, or the "American" iguana that most of us know, are mostly herbivorous, and funnily enough, native to Central/South America, and the Caribbean. Mainly found in Brazil and Paraguay.