Lizard Identity Parade Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eastern bearded dragon

Native to Australia, the common name comes from the dark scales covering the lizard's throat, which look like a beard when raised, which happens when the lizard feels threatened. The Eastern bearded dragon lives primarily in wooded areas in the south eastern regions of Australia, although some specimens have been found in both central and western Australia.

Answer: Madagascar

As you undoubtedly know, chameleons are known for their ability to change colour, with the panther chameleon displaying some of the widest variations of all the different species. The panther chameleon's natural colour also varies according to the part of Madagascar from which it originates.

The one pictured is likely to have come from Nosy Be, an island off the coast, where chameleons are known for their turquoise colour. Those from the mainland, in contrast, tend to be a bright pink and are nicknamed 'pink panthers'.

Answer: Slow worm

The grass snake and smooth snake are both native to the UK, along with the adder (viper) and the common and sand lizards. The red-eared slider is a terrapin, which is an introduced species.

The slow worm, Anguis fragilis, looks more like a snake than a lizard and the name is definitely misleading, since it is neither slow moving nor a worm. It is also known as the blindworm. Since the slow worm is a burrowing lizard, it doesn't need legs.

Answer: South America

The tegu is native to several South American countries, including Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil and can also be found in Central America. There are also some populations in the southern parts of the USA, notably Florida, due to the release of some of them into the wild by their owners.

The tegu, a member of the Teiidae family, is also known as Tupinambus, and can grow to four feet in length.

Answer: Jesus

The basilisk has the unusual ability to run on water, which it does by raising itself on to its hind legs. As the photo shows, the lizard's feet are large and this, combined with the speed at which it moves, enables the creature to cover quite a long distance on the water's surface before sinking. Since they are good swimmers as well, this presents no problem and predators have little chance of keeping up with them.

The name of Jesus lizard, or Jesus Christ lizard, refers to the Bible story of Jesus walking on water.

Answer: Lesser Sunda Islands

The Lesser Sunda Islands include the popular holiday resort of Bali but, fortunately, the Komodo dragon is found only on a few islands in the chain, Komodo, Flores, Rinca and Gili Motang.

The Komodo dragon can grow to a length of up to ten feet, and can take prey as large as a water buffalo, or human, although their more common diet is carrion.

Answer: Aegean wall lizards

Aegean wall lizards are classed as Podarcis erhardii and are sometimes known as Erhard's wall lizard, named for a German naturalist who studied them in the mid-nineteenth century. They can be found on many of the Greek islands, and have developed the ability to blend in with their backgrounds, often (as you'd expect) walls, while lying in wait for prey, which is usually insects.

The Aegean Sea is located between Greece and Turkey and many of the Greek islands can be found there.

Answer: True

This lizard lives further north than any other, and can be found in countries as diverse as Japan, Serbia, China and Russia. It is also the only lizard which is seen in Ireland. Another of its 'claims to fame' is that it can give birth to live young or lay eggs. At the time of writing this quiz, scientists are still trying to identify the reasons for these differences in reproduction.

Although they are common in most of Europe, they are rare in the regions around the Mediterranean Sea.

Answer: Nile

The Nile monitor is native to many parts of Africa, although it needs to be near water, usually rivers, so is not found in desert regions. It can grow as big as seven feet or more in length, although around five to six feet for an adult is more common.

They are excellent swimmers, and are carnivores. They have been observed stealing crocodile eggs by working in tandem - one lures the mother crocodile away while its partner in crime raids the nest.

Answer: Five-lined skink

The stripes run from the head to the tip of the tail and are particularly noticeable in the young skinks, which also have a brightly coloured blue tail. Older skinks are plainer, and often appear just brown in colour, although males have a reddish/orange chin during the breeding season.

Everyday names for the lizard include blue-tailed skink, which is obvious from the photo, or red-headed skink depending on the age of the lizard and its appearance at that stage.