The Lizard Classification System

Lizards belong in a large class of animals called Reptilia, which contains over 8225 species. Reptiles are animals that are ectothermic (cold-blooded) vertebrates that breathe air. Most reptiles are oviparous (egg-laying) animals with the exception of some ovoviviparous (live-bearing) constrictor snakes and vipers, as well as a few lizard species. They are also theropods, vertebrate animals that have four limbs or are descended from animals with four limbs. Deciphering the lizard classification system can at first seem like a daunting task. To the non-scientific mind lizard taxonomy is like a maze constructed of a bunch of unfamiliar, latin based terms that lead this way and that. But the lizard itself, whose physical, anatomical features solve …show more content…
It starts with the largest number of animals in the top rank, the kingdom, and then moves sequentially down to smaller and smaller subsets. These include the subkingdom, phylum, superclass, class, subclass, order, suborder, and family. Notes are included about new classification expansions and inclusions of additional ranks where appropriate. The additional ranks are …show more content…
One of the most well known lizards of this feature is the Chameleon Lizard. These lizards have special cells that lie in layers underneath their transparent skins. The layers contain colour pigments that influence the colour of the Chameleon. Another lizard species capable of colour change are the Anoles, a family of lizards closely related to iguanas. Anoles also change colour in response to surroundings and mood. There are about 300 species of Anoles and they all have different colouring and colour transitions. Anoles are small and common lizards that can be found throughout the southeastern United States, the Caribbean and various other regions of the Western world. A large majority of them sport a green colouration, including the only species native to North America, the aptly named Green