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There
are over 520 species of lizards found in Australia. The five main families
of lizards are Geckos, Legless lizards or Snake lizards, Dragon lizards, Monitor
lizards or Goannas, and Skinks.
Geckos, skinks, legless lizards and some dragons have the ability to lose their tail quickly if grasped by a predator, then grow a new tail. Dropping a tail is not something a lizard does casually. A tail is a useful part of a lizard, storing body fat, providing balance and increasing the surface area of the lizard relative to its body mass, which is doubtlessly important in temperature regulation.
Geckos (Gekkonidae) are generally small, nocturnal egg-laying lizards with large eyes which are cleaned with the tongue. Many gecko species are vocal, producing chirping sounds which are often heard at night in tropical Australia. The name of this group comes from the sound produced by a species from South-east Asia. Many geckos have sticky pads under their toes which allows these lizards to run on apparently smooth surfaces, such as glass.
Legless or Snake lizards (Pygopodidae) are only found in the Australian region. They lack forelimbs and their hind limbs are reduced to a small flap on either side of the cloaca. Like geckos, many Flap-footed lizards make chirping noises when handled. They can be distinguished from snakes by the presence of ears, a fleshy, notched (rather than deeply forked) tongue and a tail which is usually as long as the head and body.
Dragons (Agamidae) more famous members of the dragon family living in Australia include the Frilled Lizard of northern Australia and the Thorny Devil of the sandy deserts. Dragons tend to have long hind limbs, small, coarse scales and large heads. All dragons lay eggs and they are most numerous in the warmer parts of Australia.
Goannas or Monitor lizards (Varanidae) all have long, pointed heads, well developed limbs and long, deeply forked tongues. All species of Monitor lizards lay eggs. There are about 28 species on Mainland Australia ranging in size from the Perentie with a total length of about 2.2 metres down to the diminutive Short-tailed monitor, which is fully grown at about 20 cm.
Skinks (Scincidae) are the most successful family of lizards in the world. Skinks generally have glossy scales, each containing a small bone or osteoderm, and enlarged head shields.
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