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However, their skin – like all reptiles – is actually very dry due to a lack of pores to excrete water and oils.
Due to their smooth and shiny appearance, some lizards can appear slimy or slippery. However, some traditional (that is, non-snake) lizards lack one or more of these features. Lizards are scaly-skinned reptiles that are usually distinguished from snakes by the possession of legs, movable eyelids, and external ear openings. Their ancestors appeared on Earth over 200 million years ago. According to the San Diego Zoo, there are currently over 4,675 lizard species, including iguanas, chameleons, geckos, Gila monsters, monitors, and skinks.
They feature in a wide variety of colors, appearance, and size.
Lizard (suborder Sauria) refer to any of the more than 5,500 species of reptiles belonging in the order Squamata (which also includes snakes). See the fact file below for more information on the lizard or alternatively, you can download our 27-page Lizard worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment. They are found on all continents, except Antarctica. Lizards are one of the biggest, most diverse and widespread groups of reptiles found on Earth.