Some Interesting Lizard Facts

Some species of lizards squirt blood from their eyes. Horned lizards are one of them.

• Lizards have a long tail. Some species have a tail which can be easily broken. A weak lizard’s tail allows it to get rid of its predator that catches it by the tail. Thus, it is one of the useful defense mechanisms lizards employ. However, a lizard’s tail can be born again.
• Depending on species, lizards employ a variety of different methods to defend themselves. Some species are rather fast runners and they sprint to their habitat in times of danger while others just camouflage themselves while standing in a still position. Nonetheless, some lizards seem to grow larger and more terrifying look while actively defending against their predators. Some species can bite or even attack their predators. Above all, the most effective method lizards use is that of venom. Of all the lizards species, only three are venomous; the Mexican beaded lizard, Komodo dragon, and the Gila monster.
• Lizards smell by licking in the air just like snakes do.
• The komodo dragon, Mexican beaded lizard, and the Gila lizards are the only venomous species of lizard.

• The largest lizard is the komodo dragon with the size reaching up to 10 feet. Some lizards have eyelids such as geckos and skinks. But like snakes, the two lids have fused to develop a clear “spectacle,” which sheds along with the rest of the skin.
• Lizards primarily use their sight not only to locate their prey but for communicating with each other.
• Lizards have extremely acute color vision. In lizards, some signs are very important such as their body posture, specific movements, and gestures since these signs mark territories, attract counterparts, or resolve disputes.
• Certain lizards have bright-colored appearances but as they become susceptible to predators, they are mostly hidden on the underside.
• Many lizards, though venomous, are harmless to humans. Komodo dragon, however, is highly dangerous to humans and sometimes its injected venom end up in a death. An eight-year-old Indonesian boy died from blood loss after an attack.
• Some lizards are bred in captivity or kept as pets such as anoles, geckos, and iguanas.
• Unlike other lizards, komodo dragon is known to stalk its prey actively.
• Lizards are the cold blooded creatures whose body temperature fluctuates with the change in air temperature.

• Many lizards feed on a live food.
• Lizards for the most part live a solitary life but smaller species are often found in colonies.
• Some species are nocturnal such as geckos.
• Lizards mostly hibernate in the cold days of winter.
• They range in sizes from few centimeters to few meters.
• Unlike chameleon and Agamid lizards, many species replace their teeth all throughout their lives.

• Most lizards are good climbers and they spend the day basking in the hot sun in the morning or at noon. However, they are not found basking in the middle of the day due to overheating.
• During the daytime, common lizards

Make Glowing Water

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How to make glowing water with the help of a black light in this fun science experiment for kids like me.

Tonic water doesn't look very strange under normal light but what happens when you look at it under a black light? Does the dye from a highlighter pen do the same thing? Find out what happens and why it happens with this cool experiment that you can do at home.

What you'll need:

• A black light (you can find them at places like Walmart and hardware stores, as well as online stores like Amazon).
• Tonic water or a highlighter pen.
• A dark room to do the experiment.

Instructions:

1. If you are using a highlighter pen carefully break it open, remove the felt and soak it in a small amount of water for a few minutes.
2. Find a dark room.
3. Turn on the black light near your water, how does it look?

What's happening?

Simple explanation:

The ultra violet (UV) light coming from your black light lamp excites things called phosphors. Tonic water and the dye from highlighter pens contain phosphors that turn UV light (light we can’t see) into visible light (light we can see). That’s why your water glows in the dark when you shine a black light on it.

Black lights are used in forensic science, artistic performances, photography, authentication of banknotes and antiques, and in many other areas.

Detailed explanation:

Black light (also known as UV or ultra violet light) is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The electromagnetic spectrum also includes infrared, X-rays, visible light (what the human eye can see) and other types of electromagnetic radiation. A black light lamp such as the one you used emits a UV light that can illuminate objects and materials that contain phosphors. Phosphors are special substances that emit light (luminescence) when excited by radiation. Your water glowed under the black light because it contained phosphors. If you used a highlighter pen then the UV light reacted with phosphors in the dye. If you used tonic water then the UV light reacted with phosphors in a chemical used in tonic water called quinine.

There are different types of luminescence, they include fluorescence (used in this experiment, it glows only when the black light is on), phosphorescence (similar to fluorescence but with a glow that can last even after the black light is turned off), chemiluminescence (used to create glow sticks), bioluminescence (from living organisms) and many others.

Egg Drop Project

The egg drop is a classic science project that kids like me will love. Can you design a system that will protect an egg from a fall? Give it a try and find out.

I used items from around the house to build something that will prevent eggs smashing all over the ground.

Can you protect a falling egg?

What you'll need:

• Eggs
• Paper towels

Build your egg protectors from resources such as:

• Plastic straws
• Popsicle sticks
• Tape
• Recycled paper
• Glue
• Plastic bags
• Boxes
• Used material
• Plastic containers

The aim:

• My goal is simple, design and build a system that will protect an egg from a 1 metre (3.3 feet) drop. Eggs that smash or crack fail the test while eggs that survive without a scratch pass!

Getting started:

We need to create something that can absorb the energy the egg gathers as it accelerates towards the ground. A hard surface will crack the egg so you have to think carefully about how you can protect it. Something that will cushion the egg at the end of its fall is a good place to start, you want the egg to decelerate slowly so it doesn't crack or smash all over the ground. You'll need to run a few trials so have some eggs ready as guinea pigs, those that don’t survive will at least be comforted knowing they were smashed for a good cause, and if not, you can at least have scrambled eggs for dinner right?

How Lizards Use Energy

When an animal takes in energy (by eating food), it then can use this energy for all sorts of different reasons — for example, to keep its heart beating, or to run away from predators. The lizards we see use most of their energy for things like breathing, digesting food, growing, and flirting. They lose energy in their pee and poop (scientists call this “excretion”), and in the skin they shed as they grow. 

Lizard Research

A website about lizard scientist who study lizards and who think lizards are cool !

What lizards do during cold season?

In spring and summer, we see lizards everywhere we look.  They’re climbing on the trees, crawling on the ground, and running around the walls of our houses.  But in the fall and winter when the temperature drops, we don’t see many lizards anymore.  What are they doing when the cold wind and rain come?  The answer is, they’re not doing very much!  

Lizards are a type of animal called ectotherms, which means that their body temperature is the same as the environment around them.  So when the air outside is cold, lizards are cold too.  On the other hand, humans (along with other mammals and birds) are endotherms, which means that our internal functions keep our bodies at a warm temperature no matter what the weather is outside.

When lizards are cold, they don’t need to eat very much to stay alive, so they don’t need to be active.  Instead, they try to find a warm place to hide.  They might burrow under leaves, or dig a hole in the soil, or find a hole in a tree trunk.  In general, lizards will sit very still in these safe places and wait for warmer weather, when they will come out and sit in the sun to warm themselves.  Once they’re warm, they’ll start running after food and chasing other lizards again!