Those Lively Lizards By Marta Magellan

They live all over the world and come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. • Can a lizard change colors to match its surroundings? • Can a lizard’s tail really grow back? • Which lizard runs on water? • Do boy and girl lizards look the same? • Why do lizards stick out their tongues? • Can a lizard be a pet? • Are lizards endangered?

$14.95 ISBN: 978-1-56164-426-1 51495

9 781561 644261

Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, Florida Cover design by Steve Weaver Front cover photo of veiled chameleon by James Gersing

Marta Magellan

Activities include a lizards crossword puzzle and a lizard puppet that sticks out his dewlap. (What’s a dewlap? You’ll find out!)

Those Lively Lizards

Learn all about lizards.

Marta Magellan

Illustrations by Steve Weaver Photographs by James Gersing

Argentine black and white tegu

Marta Magellan Illustrated by Steve Weaver Photographs by James Gersing

Pineapple Press, Inc. Sarasota, Florida

Copyright © 2008 by Marta Magellan All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Photo Credits Photographs by James Gersing except: red-headed agama by Johann Axelsson, basilisk lizard by Christopher Russell, crested gecko hatching by James VanZetta—all three from istockphoto; green iguana with half tail in Pantanal, Brazil, by Marta Magellan Inquiries should be addressed to: Pineapple Press, Inc. P.O. Box 3889 Sarasota, Florida 34230 www.pineapplepress.com Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Magellan, Marta   Those lively lizards / Marta Magellan ; photographs by James Gersing.-- 1st ed.        p. cm.   Includes bibliographical references and index.   ISBN-13: 978-1-56164-426-1 (hardback : alk. paper)   ISBN-13: 978-1-56164-427-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)  1.  Lizards--Juvenile literature.  I. Gersing, James, ill. II. Title.   QL666.L2M24 2008   597.95--dc22 2008008932 First Edition Hb 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Pb 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Design by Steve Weaver Printed in China

To Sophie, Leia, Rachel, and Julia

Special thanks to: Dr. Larry Wilson, tropical herpetologist and professor at Miami Dade College for evaluating the manuscript. We are also grateful to: Tamian Wood for designing and Mauro Magellan for illustrating the activities; Linda Bernfeld along with all the members of the Miami SCWBI critique group for their suggestions, and Tracy Monique Magellan for assisting with photography. Also essential to the photographs in the book: Emily Krapf and her friendly bearded dragons Kevin and Drew, Noel Walter, Mike Barrera from Snakes at Sunset, and the many friendly zookeepers at Miami Metro Zoo.

Contents 1. What are lizards? 9 2. Why are lizards important? 11 3. How big are lizards? 13 4. Where do lizards live? 15 5. How do lizards escape? 17 6. Can a lizard’s tail really grow back? 19 7. Is it true lizards change colors to match their surroundings? 21 8. What’s a gecko? 23 9. Why do some lizards look like little dinosaurs? 25 10. Do lizards bite? 27 11. How are lizards born? 29 12. What do baby lizards look like? 31 13. Do lizards shed their skins like snakes? 33 14. What do lizards eat? 35 15. Why do some lizards have funnylooking eyes? 37

16. Why do lizards stick out their tongues? 39 17. Can a lizard be a pet? 41 18. Do boy and girl lizards look the same? 43 19. Which lizard runs on water? 45 20. Are lizards endangered? 47



Activities Lizard crossword puzzle 48 Follow the numbers chameleon 59 Anole puppet 51 Glossary 52 Where to learn more about lizards 53 About the author 54 Index 55

Green iguana

What are lizards? Lizards are part of a large group of reptiles, a class of animals with mostly dry, horny scales. This group includes iguanas, chameleons, geckos, monitors, and skinks. Many of them can leap, climb trees, and swim. One even runs on water! Some of them look like little dinosaurs. Others are like little alligators. Some even remind you of fierce storybook dragons. A long time ago, when people saw lizards like the bearded dragon, they thought they were baby dragons! There are over 4,500 species (types) of lizards in the world. Bet you can’t name them all! 

Those Lively Lizards by Marta Magellan

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