How and where does the lizard lay eggs? Reproduction of lizards

Lizards, perhaps, are the most widespread on earth species of animals. They are found on all continents and continents, except for Antarctica. This, in addition, and the most ancient creatures that live on our planet. In Japan, for example, were found the remains of an ancient herbivore lizard, having an age of 130 million years, and the fossil reptile found in Scotland, identified as a lizard, has an even more respectable age of 340 million years!

In the article we will look at these amazing descendants of dinosaurs, learn how the lizards multiply, and many more interesting things.

Why lizards are reptiles

To date, about 9,400 representatives of the reptile class are known, and one of them is a lizard. Anyone who watched as this shrewd creature moves, probably already understood why he is referred to the named class. The lizard, like other of its relatives: snakes, turtles or crocodiles, moves, clinging to the ground with the stomach, "closing" with it. The only exception is the amazing Basiliscus, who can run on the water, and even on the two hind legs, having lifted the tail and clasped the front paws to the abdomen.

Similar to all reptiles and the way of reproduction, a characteristic feature of which is internal fertilization. Females, as a rule, lay already fertilized eggs, which have a high yolk content and are covered with leathery (as in most lizards) or calcareous (as in turtles or crocodiles). Egg lizards in the masonry can be in the amount of one or two, and several dozen pieces.

This is a delicacy

By the way, in Colombia eggs of lizards are considered the most delicious delicacy. For local cuisine, eggs are mainly used. Hunters find a female of this species, which has lost its agility because of eggs ready for laying, catch it and make an incision on its belly. Cautiously, eggs are extracted from it, and wood dust is rubbed into the wound, after which the iguana is released.

Of course, you can see where this lizard, laying delicacies, will make a nest, and wait for their occurrence by natural means, but the locals consider this too troublesome. Therefore, they make the animal "Caesarean section". By the way, eggs of lambs are considered not less tasty.

How do the young lizards of the lizard come into being?

Usually a lizard lays eggs in secluded places: sand, soil, among stones or decaying leaves, and in due time from them there are already fully formed miniature copies of their parents. By the way, in some species of lizards, especially those inhabiting the northern latitudes, the cubs are selected from the shell immediately after laying by the mother of the eggs, since the development of the embryo occurs already in the body of the female, which does not allow it to subcool.

It is interesting to observe how this process takes place. The lizard before the onset of the moment of birth during the day becomes restless, scratches the ground, bends the tail on its back, and finally by the evening appears the first inshell pup. In two minutes a second, third and so on is born. And every time after laying the female takes a step forward, from which the children lie behind it in a line. In an hour they are all out of the shell and hide in the cracks in the ground, where they sit and curl their tails, until they get hungry.

True, these reptilian representatives are not very caring mothers - after the lizard lays eggs, it usually does not return to them. And if sometimes all the same comes to the place of masonry, then only to eat a part of the shells from the eggs.

There are really viviparous females!

But not always the lizard lays eggs even for such a short time. So, in South America live skinks from the genus Mabuya, which can be attributed to truly viviparous. The female skink breeds in the oviducts a tiny egg without eggs, which are most likely to be fed through the mother placenta (it is temporarily formed on the walls of the lizard's oviduct). Here the female capillaries come close enough to the capillaries of the embryos to provide them with oxygen and nutrition.

And representatives of the Peruvian volatile iguanas (Liolaemus multiformis) live in the highlands, in the Cordilleras, sometimes at an altitude of 5000 meters, where even in summer snow falls. And in order for the babies not to die, the female gives birth to live cubs who have undergone the whole process of development in her womb.

Yes, lizards are very interesting creatures that never cease to amaze researchers!

How the Basilisks are born

Talking about lizards, we can not fail to mention the Basilisk, namely, representatives of the species Basiliskus basiliscus, having the ability to run on the water. They on a water surface develop a speed up to 12 km / h, breaking up to 400 meters. In the people for such a talent these reptiles are called lizard lizards.

In this case, the basilisks prefer to live in the stuffy wet forests of Nicaragua and Costa Rica only on the crowns of trees growing along the banks of rivers and lakes. But because of the special timidity, the basilisk rushes away from any noise or suspicion of danger, jumping off the branches directly into the water.

During the rainy season, the pregnant female searches for a hidden place for masonry, descends for this from the tree and, with a muzzle to the ground, determines where the humidity and temperature will be most suitable. Eggs of a lizard in the sand or under the leaves lie about 10 weeks, after which the babies punch them with a special egg tooth, which later falls out.

What is parthenogenesis?

And in Armenia there live rocky lizards, which reproduce without the participation of males. From eggs only the females hatch and in the same way can reproduce absolutely independently.

This phenomenon in nature is called "parthenogenesis". It is interesting that in other habitats of this species the lizard lays eggs, fertilized already with the help of males. By the way, according to scientists, in the lining of such lizards you can find eggs with dead male embryos. Why this happens is not yet clear.

By the way, Komodos lizards also have the ability to parthenogenesis due to a limited number of individuals and a small area of habitat.

A lizard can be seen near

The most numerous genus is Lacerta agillis, the so-called quick lizards. They live throughout Europe and Asia. They were probably seen by everyone, because they settle in sunny clearings, on personal plots or in places where there is less vegetation, so that it would be easier to take sun baths.

From March to June, the lizards have a marriage period, and, having become emerald, the males go to find beautiful ladies (who, by the way, look very modest). Oval, up to 1.5 cm in length, skinned lizard eggs of ordinary lizard are in the excavated burrow for about 9 weeks, after which babies 6 cm in length appear, having a darker color than their parents.

From baby to giant

The smallest of the detachment of lizards is the round-headed gecko, which lives in India. It weighs only 1 gram, and the length of this crumb is 33 mm.

By the way, the reproduction of lizards of this species occurs only when there is a lot of water around. The female of a round-necked gecko lays one tiny egg that has the right round shape, which does not exceed 6 mm in diameter. And it is interesting that quite often several females simultaneously choose the same place for masonry. Not leathery, like most lizards, and the lime shell of this egg hardens very quickly in the air and becomes incredibly fragile. True, it is almost impossible to find these masonry due to tiny dimensions. They can be in all kinds of cracks, and in abandoned termitaries.

But the Komodos lizard, inhabiting Indonesia, is a giant that allows you to immediately remember that lizards are direct descendants of dinosaurs. It reaches 3 meters in length and weighs 135 kg. Having met such a hulk, anyone will try to get out quickly. True, the huge size did not prevent this lizard from becoming the smallest - now there are only 200 representatives of this species.

Lizards add beauty to this world

By the way, lizards have color vision, which is a great rarity in the animal world. They, like us, can enjoy all the colors of the planet.

And the reptiles themselves are incredibly spectacular and add beauty to this world with their fantastic forms, coloring and habits. Many lizards are able to change their color or its intensity due to the functioning of special skin cells called melanophores. By the way, thanks to this absolutely blind lizard-chameleon easily accepts the color of the environment, and the glowing geckoes mysteriously flicker in the dark.

Therefore, after discovering the eggs of the lizard, photos of which you could see in the article, do not rush to destroy them, think about how the world will become poor without these agile and very interesting creatures.