Celebrate World Lizard Day

Every year on August 14, reptile enthusiasts, scientists, and animal lovers around the globe celebrate World Lizard Day. This is a chance to learn more about these incredible creatures and appreciate their place in our ecosystems. Here at Pogona Peak Education, lizards hold a special place in our hearts. Our bearded dragon, Simon, is a regular classroom guest as we do our interactive science programs . But Simon is just one of more than 6,000 known species of lizards found across nearly every continent.

What Exactly Is a Lizard?

Lizards come in an incredible range of sizes from tiny geckos just a few centimeters long to the mighty Komodo dragon, which can grow over 10 feet and weigh more than 150 pounds. They are reptiles, which means they share some traits with snakes, turtles, and crocodiles such as scaly skin, cold-blooded metabolism, and egg-laying reproduction. But lizards have their own defining features, specifically external ear openings and movable eyelids.

Movable Eyelids

Most lizards have eyelids that can blink and close, much like ours. This gives them several advantages. Movable eyelids give lizards a level of visual control and protection that most other reptiles lack. These eyelids allow lizards to blink, clean their eyes, and shield them from dust, debris, and harsh sunlight which is especially vital in dry or sandy environments. Some species even have transparent lower eyelids, letting them see while burrowed underground. This ability not only helps maintain eye health but also enhances their stealth and survival, allowing them to stay alert and hidden when needed. In a world where vision can mean the difference between predator and prey, eyelids are a subtle superpower.

External Ear Holes

Ear holes make lizards uniquely attuned to their environments, giving them a sensory edge over many other reptiles. Unlike snakes, which rely on vibrations through the jaw, lizards use their external ear openings to detect a wide range of airborne sounds. This allows them to hear predators approaching, locate prey rustling in the underbrush, and even respond to calls from other lizards. Their ability to process sound so effectively helps them thrive in diverse habitats making their ear structures a subtle but powerful survival tool.

Types of Lizards Around the World

Lizards live in deserts, rainforests, mountains, grasslands, and even city parks. Some well-known groups include:

• Geckos: Masters of climbing, thanks to specialized toe pads covered in microscopic hairs that let them stick to walls and ceilings.
• Chameleons: Famous for color-changing skin, long sticky tongues, and independently moving eyes.
• Skinks: Often shiny and smooth, some with blue tongues used to startle predators.
• Iguanas: Plant-eaters that thrive in tropical climates, including the marine iguana of the Galápagos Islands.
• Monitors: Large, intelligent lizards that include the Komodo dragon and water monitor.
• Anoles: Small, active lizards often found in gardens; many can change shades for camouflage.

Super Senses: How Lizards Experience the World

Lizards have sensory abilities that might seem straight out of a superhero comic:

• Smelling With Their Tongues: Like snakes, many lizards use a forked tongue to collect scent particles from the air and “read” them using a special organ in the roof of the mouth called the Jacobson’s organ.
• Seeing Beyond Human Limits: Many lizards can see ultraviolet (UV) light, helping them detect patterns on other lizards that are invisible to us. Bearded dragons like Simon have a 3^rd eye on the top of their heads that serve as special light sensor.
• Camouflage & Color Change: While chameleons are the most famous, many lizards use natural coloration to blend into their surroundings. Some can shift shades slightly to regulate body temperature or signal mood. Simon develops dark patterns when he is cold or upset and, like all bearded dragons, his chin and neck turn black when he’s mad, sick, or injured.
• Acute Motion Detection: Lizards are skilled at spotting movement, a vital ability for catching prey or avoiding predators.

Lizards and the Ecosystem

Lizards play vital roles in keeping ecosystems healthy:

• Pest Control: Many lizards eat insects like mosquitoes, beetles, and flies, keeping populations in check. Simon’s favorite pests to eat are dubias and hornworms.
• Seed Dispersal: Fruit-eating lizards help plants spread by passing seeds in their droppings.
• Food Web Connections: Lizards are prey for birds, snakes, and mammals, linking different parts of the food chain.
• Environmental Indicators: Because they are sensitive to changes in temperature, habitat, and pollution, lizards can serve as early warning signs of environmental shifts.

Unfortunately, habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive predators threaten many lizard species and need our help to keep surviving.

Lizards as Pets

While many lizards live in the wild, quite a few are also popular pets. I'm one of 4.5 million households in the United States that keep reptiles as pets and lizards make up a large share of that. Common pet species include bearded dragons, leopard geckos, crested geckos, and blue-tongue skins. Keeping a lizard as a pet requires commitment as proper heating, lighting, diet, and habitat are essential to their health. Responsible ownership helps ensure these animals thrive in human care. Once you get the husbandry right, I can affirm that these scaly creatures make amazing pets!! Simon has so much personality and is so fun to observe and love.

How to Celebrate World Lizard Day

You can celebrate our scaly friends on August 14 by learning more about lizards or taking steps to protect them and their environment.

1. Go Lizard Spotting: Visit a local park or nature reserve and see if you can spot wild lizards in their natural habitat. If you don’t live in an area where lizards are common, many zoos and aquariums have lizard exhibits.
2. Create Lizard Art: Paint, draw, or sculpt your favorite lizard species. Or color one of our free lizard coloring sheets.
3. Learn Together – Use field guides, documentaries, or online resources to explore lizard diversity. You can learn all about different kinds of lizards with our free go fish game.

Be a Lizard Citizen Scientist

In an earlier blog post I discussed how rewarding it is to be citizen scientist. There are several citizen science projects that are focus on tracking and monitoring lizard populations.

1. iNaturalist
   A global platform where you can upload photos of any wildlife (including lizards), and community experts help with identification. Data is shared with researchers and conservation groups.
2. HerpMapper 
   A database dedicated to reptiles and amphibians. Observations (with location and date) are used by scientists, conservationists, and resource managers to track species distributions.
3. The RASCals Project (Reptiles and Amphibians of Southern California)
   A California-specific project encouraging people to record reptile and amphibian sightings, which helps track species health and range changes.

Support Lizard Conservation

Lizards need our help and there are many organizations that helping protect these animals and their environments. You can consider donating to one of these organizations.

• IUCN SSC Amphibian & Reptile Conservation Group – Works globally to assess reptile species, monitor conservation status, and guide habitat protection efforts.
• The Turtle Survival Alliance / Global Reptile Conservation – While focused heavily on turtles, they support broader reptile habitat conservation worldwide.

• The Orianne Society – Focuses on the conservation of reptiles and amphibians, including habitat restoration for species like skinks and other lizards in the southeastern U.S.
• Center for Biological Diversity – Advocates for endangered species protections, including lizards like the desert horned lizard and island night lizard.

• Australian Herpetological Society – Supports research and conservation for native reptiles, including numerous gecko and skink species.

• Galápagos Conservancy – Works to protect iguanas and other reptile species unique to the Galápagos Islands.
• Mauritian Wildlife Foundation – Protects island reptile species like the Telfair’s skink through habitat restoration and predator control.

World Lizard Day is a reminder of the incredible diversity of life around us, and of our role in protecting it. Whether you marvel at the speed of a gecko, the power of a Komodo dragon, or the friendliness of a bearded dragon, take a moment this August to appreciate the scales, tails, and superpowers of these remarkable reptiles.