El Hierro Giant Lizard

 

True Wild Life | El Hierro Giant Lizard | The El Hierro Giant Lizard is a species that can be found on the island of El Hierro, one of the Canary  Islands (Spain). The species was once present throughout much of the island and on the small offshore Roque Chico de Salmor, but is now confined to a small areas of cliff with sparse vegetation. It is currently restricted to the southern end of the Risco de Tibataje, in la Fuga de Gorreta, located between Guinea and the so-called Paso del Pino. 

El Hierro giant lizard is a thickset reptile with a broad head. Adults are dark grey to brown in colour, with two rows of pale orange patches running along its sides. Its belly is mostly brown, but has an orange to red colouration towards the middle. Older El Hierro Giant Lizards are mainly black with some grey. Males are larger than females. El Hierro Giant Lizard is a very large lacertid that can grow beyond 20 cm in length, and lives only on the Hierro Island of Spain's Canary Islands. It used to exist in a broader area but now only exists in a certain part of Hierro Island. Their number is down to a mere 300 to 400, including those returned to wilderness by humans.

The El Hierro giant lizard is omnivorous. It eats plants and insects. Mating begins in May and the 5 to 13 eggs are laid from June until the end of August. Their eggs hatch after 61 days. Many reptiles become active after raising their body temperature by sunbathing. The body of the El Hierro Giant Lizard can be as hot as 40 degrees Celsius after sunbathing.

The number of El Hierro Giant Lizards has dropped because of a scarcity in food plants and an increase in attacks by seagulls and other animals. Although the extent of human-induced changes to the ecosystem is unknown, with so few El Hierro Giant Lizards in existence, any further human-induced changes to their environment could cause them to go extinct in a flash. To avoid this tragic scenario, Spain has enlisted the entire country to help protect the El Hierro Giant Lizard.

Water Dragon

True Wild Life | Water Dragon | The water dragon is a large species of lizard native to the forests and jungles of Asia and Australia. Water dragons are arboreal animals meaning that they spend most of their time in the trees, often close to a large body of water. There are two different species of water dragon, which are the Australian water dragon and the Asian water dragon. The Australian water dragon is the smaller of the two water dragon species and is found on the east coast of Australia. Australian water dragons have powerful legs and sharp claws which help them to climb trees more effectively.

The Asian water dragon is the larger and more colourful of the two water dragon species and is found in forests and jungles throughout India, China, Laos, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand. The Asian water dragon also has a third eye (known as the pineal gland), which is thought to be able to detect difference in light. Although water dragons are generally tree-dwelling animals, they also spend a great deal of time in or very close to the water. Water dragons are strong and capable swimmers and often leap into the water from the branches high above in order to escape approaching danger.

Like many other lizard species, water dragons are omnivorous animals eating a variety of plant and animal species. Water dragons primarily prey upon small animals such as lizards, frogs and rodents, insects and fish which they catch will there long tongue. Due to their relatively large size, water dragons have limited predators within their natural environment, although this is entirely dependent on where the area which the water dragon inhabits. Snakes, large birds and carnivorous mammals are the primary predators of the water dragon.

Water dragons hibernate during the cooler winters and begin breeding when they emerge in the spring. The female water dragon digs a burrow in the ground where she lays up to 18 eggs, and then buries them. The water dragon young hatch within a few months and remain close to the nest until they become bigger and more adventurous.  

Thorny Devil

True Wild Life | Thorny Devil | The thorny devil, also known as Thorny Dragon, Thorny Lizard, or the Moloch, is a small species of lizard native to Australia with there being no other lizard like the thorny devil anywhere in the world. The thorny devil is a small lizard with the average adult thorny devil only growing to around 20cm in length and weighing about the same as the average mouse. The thorny devil is best known for having an extremely spiky looking appearance and the thorny devil can blend well into the vast Australian desert due to the colour of the thorny devils skin.

The body of the thorny devil has a very rigid structure which aids the thorny devil in collecting water. Amazingly, in between the cone shaped spikes of the thorny devil, little channels form along the thorny devils body which enables the thorny devil to collect water from any part of its body which is then transported to the mouth of the thorny devil.

As with many species of lizard, the female thorny devil is generally slightly bigger than the male thorny devil and tend to be slightly paler in colour, with the male thorny devil having a slightly redder looking appearance. All thorny devil individuals tend to change from a paler to a darker colour when they cool down.

The thorny devil also has a pretend head at the back of its neck which is used to mislead oncoming predators. The thorny devil dips its real head down and is therefore able to have a slight advantage on other animals. The thorny devil feeds mainly on ants and collects the much need moisture at night time generally from forming dew drops. The thorny devil can eat some thousands of ants every day, which is remarkable for such a small creature.

Slow Worm

True Wild Life | Slow Worm | The slow worm is a long species of legless lizard found throughout Europe and in parts of Asia, that is often mistaken for a snake due to it's appearance. The slow worm inhabits warm, moist and shaded areas across the European continent and is also commonly found in gardens throughout the United Kingdom, as well as meadows and farmland.

Despite it's snake-like appearance, the slow worm is in fact a lizard but without legs and instead uses the muscles in it's body to move itself around. Slow worms have smooth and shiny skin and a small head in comparison to their body. As with other reptiles, the slow worm has a forked tongue which it uses to sense smells in the air. Slow worms also have eyelids which is the main indicator between lizards and snakes (as snakes are commonly known to not have eyelids but lizards do).

The slow worm is a carnivorous animal meaning that the slow worm only feeds on other animals in order to survive. Slow worms primarily feed on small, slow-moving animals like worms, slugs and snails as well as insects, spiders and other invertebrates. Due to it's shiny skin and elongated body, the slow worm is prey to numerous predators within it's natural environment. Cats, dogs, weasels and birds are the most common predators of the slow worm.

After mating, the female slow worm produces up to 15 eggs which are incubated in her body for a few months. Once developed, the slow worm babies hatch inside their mother meaning that the female slow worm ends up giving birth to live young. Today, the slow worm population appears to be thriving in parts of Europe, particularly in Britain where the slow worm is commonly found in back gardens across the country.

Sand Lizard

True Wild Life | Sand Lizard | The sand lizard is a small species of lizard that is found across Europe and into parts of Asia. The sand lizard is one of only three species of lizard natively found in the UK along with the slow worm and the common lizard, and is protected in Britain (and much of Europe) as populations are low in most areas. The sand lizard is found inhabiting grass and heath-lands along with coastal dunes throughout it's native range which extends from the United Kingdom, east across Europe to Mongolia. Despite having a fairly wide distribution however, sand lizard populations are sparse and are completely extinct from certain areas of their native habitats.

The sand lizard is a relatively small, yet "stocky" lizard species that is usually of a light brown colour, with darker markings running down it's back. Male sand lizards however, are known for their remarkable colour change, as their skin turns from a dull brown to a bright green during the mating season, in order to more easily attract a female to mate with. As with other reptiles, the sand lizard is a cold blooded animal and must therefore, first warm itself up before it is able to hunt for food. Sand lizards spend the daytimes basking on a rock in the hot sun, which warms their blood up, re-charging them for an evening of hunting. The brownish colour of the sand lizard's skin acts as a good camouflage when the sand lizard is sun-bathing.

Like many other lizard species, the sand lizard is a carnivorous animal meaning that it has to hunt and eat other animals in order to survive. Sands lizards primarily feast on a variety of invertebrates including insects, grasshoppers and spiders, which they watch closely using their excellent sight before powerfully grabbing hold of their meal with their strong tongue. The small size of the sand lizard, coupled with it's sluggish nature when warming up during the day, makes these animals a prime target for hungry predators. Birds, dogs and cats are the most common predators of the sand lizard, along with habitat destruction or total loss caused by humans.

Sand lizards mate in the early summer when males begin to show off their new green patterns in order to attract and impress a female mate. Female sand lizards lay their eggs in the sand where they are incubated by the sun and not by the mother. As with other lizard species, very little care is provided by the parents for their young who are independent from a very early age. Today, habitat loss has pushed these lizards into smaller and smaller areas and sand lizard populations across Europe are now under threat. The sand lizard is considered to be an animal at threat from extinction in the wild and is protected in much of it's natural range.

Monitor Lizard

True Wild Life | Monitor Lizard | Monitor Lizards are large reptiles found in Africa and all across Asia, including the surrounding seas. The monitor lizard is mainly found in jungle areas although some species of monitor lizard are water-bound. Some species of monitor lizard are thought to carry a fairly weak venom, for example, the komodo dragon which is the largest of the species. The komodo dragon is native to the small Indonesian island that it is named after and is the largest species of lizard in the world.

According to legend, monitor lizards were a sign that there were crocodiles close by, possibly due to their standing on their hind legs to monitor their surroundings. Monitor lizards do this so that they are aware of any approaching predators. Although many species of monitor lizard are quite big, some species of monitor lizard are smaller than 20 cm in length. Monitor lizards are extremely versatile animals and monitor lizards adapt well into different environments.

Most species of monitor lizard have a predominantly carnivorous diet, eating eggs, smaller reptiles, fish, birds and small mammals. Some species of monitor lizard also eat fruit and vegetation depending on where they live. Female monitor lizards bury their eggs in holes or hollow tree stumps that the female monitor lizard then covers with dirt in order to protect her eggs. Monitor lizards can lay up to 30 eggs at a time, although many monitor lizards lay less, and only a lucky few of the monitor lizard babies tend to survive.

Monitor lizards are thought to be fairly intelligent animals, with some people claiming that monitor lizards are able to recognise numbers up to six, therefore meaning that monitor lizards are able to count! Monitor lizards mainly use their intelligence in the wild by surveying areas for oncoming danger and for hunting their prey.

Lizard

True Wild Life | Lizard | Lizard is a collective name for the different species of lizard that are found in the warmer climates around the world. The lizard is a reptile with scaly skin, and some species of lizard can shed their tails when the are in danger, but not all species of lizard are capable of doing this. There are around 5,000 different species of lizard ranging from small lizards that are just a few centimeters in size, to much larger and more predatory lizards that measure a few meters from the head of the lizard to the tip of their tail.

Most species of lizard are either good climbers, or failing that good at sprinting which enables all the different species of lizard to escape danger in a flash. Some species of lizard are said to be so good at anchoring themselves into solid material and it has been known that criminals breaking into houses, are able to use the lizard almost like a ladder, and therefore are able to climb up the lizard into the house. Lizards are reptiles which means that lizards are cold blooded. Lizards tend to be more active during the night as lizards spend the day basking in the hot sun in order to warm themselves up. Lizards are therefore able to recharge their batteries during the day and can hunt with success at night.

For most species of lizard, sight is crucial both for locating prey and for communication between other lizards. Due to their extremely tuned eyesight, many species of lizard have highly acute color vision. When communicating most lizards rely heavily on body language as lizards use specific postures, gestures and movements to define their territory, resolve any disputes, and entice mates.

Most species of lizard are harmless to humans with the main (and obvious) exception of the komodo dragon, which is the largest species of lizard in the world. Komodo dragons have been known to stalk, attack and kill humans that get in their way, primarily aided by the vast size of the komodo dragon. Some species of lizard have a venomous bite but none of these venomous species of lizard is toxic enough to really harm a human. Generally, if bitten by a venomous lizard, humans will receive a nasty and painful bite, which is normally caused by the strong jaws and bite of the lizard rather than the small amount of venom contained in it.

Lizards lay eggs in which baby lizards have from a few months later. Some species of lizard, such as the slow worm, appears to give birth to live young but this is not technically the case as the female lizard incubates the eggs in her body until they hatch rather than incubating them outside of the body like other species of lizard.

Komodo Dragon

True Wild Life | Komodo Dragon | The komodo dragon, also known as the giant monitor lizard, is the largest species of lizard in the world.The komodo dragon inhabits the rainforests of Southeast Asia, and the komodo dragon is native to just a few islands in Indonesia that are part of the Komodo Island National Park. Fossil evidence however, suggests that the komodo dragon once had a much larger habitat but this has been severely decreased due to deforestation. Komodo dragons are completely dominant predators in their environment, and are named by the locals as the land crocodile due to their large size and habit of eating seemingly anything that the komodo dragons can find.

The komodo dragon has an exceptional sense of smell meaning that the komodo dragon is able to hunt out its prey up to 8 km away, when aided by the wind blowing in the right direction. Recent discoveries have revealed that the komodo dragon is indeed venomous, and does not kill its prey through lethal bacteria, as previously thought. However, once the damage the komodo dragon can do coupled with the fact that the saliva of the komodo dragon is known to carry more than 50 different strains of bacteria, means that any animal that manages to survive the attack of a komodo dragon, is extremely likely to die of infection.

The komodo dragon hunts anything that comes into contact with the komodo dragon, including its own eggs! Generally komodo dragons are not known to actively hunt humans, but the komodo dragon is known to be one of the man-eating animals in the world, as it is not uncommon for the komodo dragon to attack and eat humans that get in its way. To hunt their prey, komodo dragons rely heavily on their camouflage in the long grass and great patience as the komodo dragons sit and wait for prospective prey to pass. When a meal ambles past the komodo dragon, the komodo dragon uses its thick, powerful legs to spring out of its hiding place. The komodo dragon then uses its sharp claws and serrated teeth to capture its meal before then eating it.

Due to the fact that the komodo dragon is an apex predator in its limited environment, the komodo dragon will often live to more than 30 years of age. The main exception to this is the side effects that occur due to deforestation and areas where there is a lack of food for the komodo dragon to hunt. Today there are thought to be around 3,000 komodo dragon individuals left in the wild with less than a third of them being female komodo dragons that are of the age to breed. The komodo dragon has always been under threat from humans that destroy the habitat of the komodo dragon or quickly kill the komodo dragon when they come into contact with them.