Grass Lizard

Genus Takydromus

Reptile

Transcript:

Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing grass lizards. These reptiles are named after the place they live. Unsurprisingly, grass lizards spend a majority of their time in grass. This includes bamboo! Apart from grassy habitats, grass lizards live in bushes and forests, including the tree canopy. They're scansorial meaning they have the ability to climb. Although grass lizards are primarily terrestrial, spending their time on the ground, some of them are arboreal and climb into trees. What's more, these lizards live from sea level to high mountain altitudes more than a mile (1,600 m) above sea level depending on the species. There are more than 20 described grass lizard species and many are endemic to a single country, often isolated to certain islands. They live throughout East and Southeast Asia from Russia and Japan, West to India, and South to Indonesia. 

Some grass lizards have the longest tails of all known living lizards. Depending on the species, a grass lizard’s tail can reach upwards of 6 times its body length. On average, these reptiles are no more than 3 inches (7.6 cm) long from their nose to the base of their tail. Grass lizards use their long tail to propel themselves through the grass, much like a slithering snake. Their tail can even have sharp edges to help grip to the vegetation and facilitate this swift movement. Although a grass lizard's tail is important, it can be dropped to escape threats. Larger reptiles, mammals, and birds may all eat these small reptiles. Even a strong spider can take one down giving the opportunity. To save their tail, grass lizards run into foliage and hide.

These vertebrates are brown to olive which helps them blend in with their surroundings. Camouflage can help keep them hidden regardless of their diurnal nature. Plus, grass lizards have some level of color change capacity which can further help them disappear into the foliage. They also have keeled scales along their back. These are raised scales that form lines across the top of their body that look like the edges of grass blades. When threats have passed, the lizards come out to find food. Grass lizards eat snails, worms, insects, millipedes, and some species even eat fruit. They're omnivores! 

Grass lizards may have multiple clutches per year starting in the spring and moving into the summer. Depending on where they live, these lizards have to go into a low activity state during the coldest parts of the year. This is especially true of high altitude living species. In their first year of life, female grass lizards typically lay fewer eggs than the older females of the population. As they get older, they may move from 2 eggs on average to upwards of 6 eggs laid at a time. Incubation times can vary vastly depending on where they live and the temperature around their eggs. Some can hatch in less than a month and others may take more than two months. On average, grass lizards live 2 years, however, it's possible for them to more than double this age!

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