How beautiful and great our world is! Its diversity is simply amazing, because people have not yet recognized all kinds of animals and plants. Previously, little attention was paid to the study of nature, because scientists worked on the development of science and industry. The trend towards the discovery of new living organisms began to appear only towards the end of the 18th century: first, European scientists, who possessed the latest technology at that time, became interested in the flora and fauna of our Earth, then knowledge reached Asia, where the study of all life on the planet also began.
Everyone knows that animals were divided into wild and domestic. The former, of course, were found only in the wild and could not be tamed, while the latter could live quietly at home. Since not all animals could be kept at home, experts identified several species to facilitate the choice. One of them was a lizard. She simultaneously began to appear as a wild reptile, and one that can get along with people in their home. Since, with proper handling, a viviparous lizard at home feels free and quite comfortable, scientists decidedclassify it as a domestic reptile species. In our article today, you will find out what kind of animal it is and how it differs from many others.
The viviparous lizard (Latin name Zootoca vivipara) belongs to a large family of true lizards. Since it practically does not perceive low temperatures, it can live even in cold conditions. It is currently distributed in Central, Northern and Eastern Europe, as well as in Asia.
The viviparous lizard has an average of 15 centimeters in length, although larger individuals are also found. At the same time, it has a tail about 11 centimeters long. Males and females differ in their coloration. In ladies, the lower part is most often light (light green or yellowish), while males are distinguished by its brick-red tint. However, not all lizards have the same tone. There are individuals with a pronounced red tint and even completely black. The latter received a similar color due to internal processes and the presence of a large amount of melanin. In addition to the peculiar color, the viviparous lizard is distinguished by stripes running throughout the body. Most often they are black, although there are individuals with gray and brown stripes. This reptile feeds on insects: beetles, earthworms, mosquitoes. Since its teeth are very small and unable to chew food, it holds the prey in its teeth for a while, and then swallows it whole. Like all other types of reptiles, the viviparous lizard swims very well, which often saves itself from enemies. For the winter she falls into a kindhibernation, burrowing into shallow burrows (up to 30 centimeters underground).
This type of reptile becomes sexually mature by the third year of life. After the end of hibernation (approximately in April), the lizard is ready to mate. A viviparous lizard (you have already seen a photograph of it in our article) is a rare type of reptile. Firstly, it is an extraordinary representative of its species, listed in the Red Book, and secondly, it is one of the few reptiles capable of live birth.
