The round-eared lizard is a desert inhabitant, and this lizard got its name because of two large leather folds located at the corners of the mouth. They resemble large ears with jagged fringe around the edges.
Appearance
Eared roundhead (photo above) is the largest representative of the roundhead genus. The length of her body reaches 12 cm, and the length of her tail is 15 cm. Her head, torso and tail are flattened. At the corners of the mouth, as already mentioned, there is a large fold of skin (ears). Its free edge is covered with long conical scales. The back of the head is also dotted with scales. And in general, the whole body of this reptile is covered with scales: on top it is keeled, ribbed, smaller on the sides, conical on the neck, and the throat has subtle ribs and a small point.
Coloring
Desert lizards are usually sandy in color, which helps them hide from their enemies. The roundhead is no exception: its body is most often sandy in color with a yellowish or flesh-pink tint; the sides are brighter than the back. The head and torso are decorated with camouflage colors, which are incorrectly outlineddark lines. They form a complex mosaic of ovals, circles and spots. The underside of the lizard is milky white. There is a black spot on the chest (in females it is less bright than in males). There may be a dark marble pattern on the throat. The end of the tail is jet black.
Distribution
Their distribution is entirely determined by the presence of large massifs of moving sands, however, their habitat is limited to desert and semi-desert zones in the eastern Ciscaucasia (including the foothills of Dagestan, the eastern part of Chechnya and Kalmykia). The lizards we are considering are also found in the south of the Astrakhan region, in Central Asia, in Kazakhstan, northwestern China, Afghanistan and Iran.
Habitat
Eared roundhead is a typical inhabitant of various types of loosely fixed and dune sands with sparse herbaceous and shrubby vegetation. She settles on the tops of sandy embankments and on roadsides, where she creates isolated settlements. The number of these reptiles is subject to sharp fluctuations, it increases significantly with the withdrawal of young animals. So, in the southern part of the Karakum desert, only 18 individuals were recorded on a two-kilometer route, and in Dagestan, in the area of the Sary-Kum dune, 98 individuals were found on a route of one and a half thousand meters. This is considered a record population density for this lizard species.
Activity
Eared roundhead appears after wintering in late March - early April. During the warm winters, whichoccur in Central Asia, some individuals are active already at the end of February. In the summer, desert lizards (the photos brought to your attention will help you get an idea of this reptile) hide from the hot sun during the day, appearing only in the morning and evening hours. In early October, these creatures arrange a wintering refuge for themselves. To do this, they find inter-dune lowlands and dig straight burrows up to 90 cm long in them, which end in small expansions in a layer of wet sand. In summer, young animals hide in minks, and adults, in bad weather, at night, or in case of danger, burrow into the sand with quick oscillatory movements of the body. At the same time, the round-eared roundhead, as it were, pushes the sand in front of it, which is picked up by scales on the sides and crumbles onto the back, covering the lizard.
This type of desert dweller is well known for its characteristic fearsome posture. The lizard widely spreads and spreads its hind legs, raises the front part of the body and opens its mouth wide, while the mucous membrane and the skin folds straightened in the corners of the mouth become bright red. At the same time, the roundhead makes a hissing sound, quickly twists and straightens its tail and jumps in the direction of the enemy. Lizards are very aggressive, and not only in the case of protecting the territory or during the mating season, but also at other times. This behavior is typical for individuals of different ages and sexes.
Reproduction
Mating in round-eared roundheads lasts from late April to early July. The first eggs are laid from mid-May to the end of June, the secondegg laying occurs at the end of July. The female lays 2 to 6 eggs. Young growth appears in the period from late July to mid-August. The size of the babies is 30-40 mm. Sexual maturity occurs in the second year of life. Juveniles usually settle in colonies, while adults prefer individual sites.
What do desert lizards eat?
The basis of their diet is made up of various insects. Most often these are beetles, ants, bugs, orthoptera, diptera, butterflies and spiders. Adults may eat desert plant flowers.
Desert Lizards
Eared roundhead is not the only species of reptiles that inhabit the deserts of our planet. Let's briefly look at some of the species of lizards that live in these difficult environmental conditions.
1. Round head sandy. These lizards reach 80 mm in length (including the tail). They are sandy-yellow in color with a dense pattern of light and dark dots and specks. The sandy roundhead feeds on ants, termites, caterpillars, beetles, butterflies, which it often catches on the fly, jumping into the air.
2. Round head takyr. It differs from other species in the shape of its head. In length, this lizard reaches 12 cm. The color is dark gray or brown-gray. The basis of the diet of these reptiles are insects and small invertebrates.
3. Desert iguana. Their body length is 17-40 cm. The color may vary, but brown and gray colors predominate. The diet of the iguana consists exclusively of plant foods, it can beboth seeds and fruits of plants, and their stems.
4. Varan. This is the largest lizard in the world, its length reaches 1.5 meters, and its weight is 3.5 kg. The color of this reptile is dominated by predominantly gray tones. The monitor lizard feeds on rodents, snakes and insects.
5. Moloch. The body length of this lizard reaches 22 cm. The color is brown-yellow with dark spots. However, moloch can change color depending on temperature, lighting, or physiological state. It feeds exclusively on forager ants, which it catches with a sticky tongue.
