Lizards are very intriguing animals, which, unfortunately, many people have mixed feelings about. Since they are reptiles, many may wonder if they can live in water or not, since no one has seen a house lizard in water. That is a valid question indeed, and we shall explore it with much fascination.
The first thing to explore is what lizards can live in water. And the answer is more than you might have expected. because more than one lizard species actually lives full-time or part-time in water. The most well-known of these are the mudskippers. Mudskippers are small fish that live on land, but even though they can breathe through their gills, they still go ashore to hunt prey and look for mates.
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Is it possible for lizards to live in water?
Another surprising example of a lizard species living in water is the marine iguana. These animals actually do live their lives almost entirely in ocean waters, only coming ashore to lay eggs and bask briefly before doing it all over again. This truly makes them aquatic lizards
What others?
The other example of an aquatic lizard is the basilisk or Jesus Christ Lizard. This lizard is named after its acrobatic abilities, which make it seem as though it can walk on water. In reality, what this lizard does is run on the surface of a pond or stream at a speed that creates a vacuum above its head and allows it to move across the surface of the water.
Lizards living in water seems very extraordinary, but in reality, they live in two different extremes. Mudskippers are the only ones who truly spend their lives in waterside environments, while marine iguanas and basilisks may be considered semi-aquatic lizards due to the time they spend living in the water.
What do aquatic lizards eat?
While mudskippers hunt like normal fish, iguanas and basilisks go after the insects in the water. These lizards have a very special adaptation in their tongues which is specifically made to attract prey in aquatic environments.
To understand in detail if lizards can live in water or not, here are some things that we need to know:
- Lizards are reptiles, and is also breathing is with the lungs, not gills.
- The Lizard’s skin is covered in scales which makes it impervious to water. The primary reason why lizards can’t live in water, though, is because they can’t control their own body temperature very well. Because of the lizard’s cold-blooded nature, aquatic lizards need a source of heat from outside sources to keep their temperatures high enough.
- However, if by living in the water you mean thriving in an aquatic environment, then a lot of species of lizards are capable of that.
- Being in an aquatic environment does not mean breathing underwater. It is much like crocodiles that although breathe air directly, spend most of their time submerged within water.
How long lizards can live in water?
In the last section we have defined living in water as not breathing in water, but having a lifestyle that is surrounded by water, i.e., in an aquatic environment.
Some lizards are simply semi-aquatic, i.e., they live part of their lives in water and part of it on land. An excellent example of this is the Marsh Crocodile which has webbed feet to help them swim, but still lives on land.
Others are fully aquatic, i.e., they spend their entire lives in water. An example of this is the Marine Iguana which never leaves the ocean or eats anything other than marine algae.
- As we shall discuss ahead, the very survival of some species of lizards depends upon the availability of water. Their day is spent alternating between land and water. Where they go on land, under the sun to hunt for prey, and come back to the water to cool themselves down.
- Some species of lizards lay eggs or have built their homes within ponds or various aquatic environments. However, since they do not have gills, they cannot have their home too deep into the pond. It is to the point where they can submerge their head out easily.
- How long they can remain submerged in water depends on their physical activity and lungs’ capacity. Typically, they cannot do it for long and have to eventually come out.
Can lizards swim?
Swimming is a skill that lizards have to manage within their aquatic environment. They are not natural swimmers, but they have certain tricks in order to move around or even hide underwater.
Some species of lizard can swim across short distances very well. Others cannot do it at all and would only use it as an alternative way of hiding from a predator.
Some animals, such as the Jesus Christ Lizard, just run across water without actually being able to swim well. This is because of their long toes that have evolved into flaps almost like oars do. They just push themselves forward and can even walk on top of a pool for a considerable amount of time. Also, the name Jesus Christ Lizard? How cool is that!
- Most species of lizards are very efficient swimmers. What’s more interesting is that various species have their own unique methods of swimming, and it has captivated many.
- Some particular species use their tails to propel themselves ahead in the water. This round fan-like move of their tails pulls them ahead.
- Some species use the seabed as their footing to get underwater. But before that, they hold their breath so they can stay inside the water for long. However, they eventually have to come out.
- Some species of lizards have such fast movements that they can actually run over water. It is usually like a real-life animated cartoon.
What are the types of lizards that can live in water?
Out of all we have discussed today, this will be the most fascinating part. Since not all species of lizards can swim or live inside water, it would be interesting to know which particular species are capable of these amazing things. Their details are as follows:
Water Dragons
This variety of lizards can be found in the regions within, and between South-East Asia and Australia. It should also be noted that they are 2 classifications of water dragons, the “Chinese Water Dragons” and the “Australian Water Dragons”. Both of them have some morphological differences, but in general, pretty much everything about them is almost the same, especially their lifestyle.
Water dragons spend most of their days in the water. They are very active swimmers and can move around with great ease. However, when they come out on land to bask under the sun, they like to do it in a group.
Sailfin Lizards
They belong to the genus Hydrosaurus, which literally means “water-living” in Latin. This is one of the largest agamid lizard species and is mostly found in the South-East regions mainly Indonesia, the Philippines Papua New Guinea. They are mainly found in the edges of various rivers and streams, and thus it can be understood that they prefer freshwater over ponds or the ocean.
Sailfin lizards can stay submerged underwater for a maximum of about 40 minutes. They have a special gland for extracting oxygen from water so they can stay submerged for longer periods of time.
Caiman Lizards
These are huge water-dwelling lizards that can grow up to 4 feet in length. They typically have a brown head and have a beautiful green body. Caiman lizards are mainly found in the South American region, places like the Amazon forest. They prefer staying on the branches that grow over running water. This helps cool them down and keep them fresh. The body of caiman lizards can adapt to both land and water, thus helping them survive in the wild.
Their heads are quite large in proportion to their bodies. They use this feature to hunt prey inside the water. This is mainly by suffocating small fish or other aquatic animals using their powerful jaws (which also includes weaker animals like frogs and mice).
Chinese Lizards
These lizards should not be confused with the “Chinese Water Dragons”, since they are an entirely different species. They are more commonly known as the “Chinese Crocodile” lizards because their tail has two rows of scales like the crocodile. It could be inferred that they had the same ancestor at one point, out of which two different species evolved.
These lizards are the only species of the “Iguania” family, which can be found in China and South-East Asian regions. This is a rare breed found in small pockets all over Malaysia and India. In fact, they are considered to be endangered species today.
Marine Iguanas
The term “marine” is specially mentioned along with the Iguanas because they are the only marine lizard in the world, that is, they prefer the marine environment. And be wary, they are not your regular house lizards. In fact, they are quite big in size and it can be a pretty tedious job to hold them. They can grow about a meter and a half in length.
Marine Iguanas can be found in the Galapagos Islands and also on some other islands off the coast of Ecuador. These lizards mainly feed on algae and it is this habit that helps them survive in seawater. They do not need to drink any water at all since they get all their water from eating things like algae and other plant material.
It can be inferred that marine iguanas are some of the best swimmers in the world. They prefer swimming over walking, and will often dive to depths of about 70 meters in order to get their food. On an average day, they will swim 60-100 times, proving out to be quite efficient swimmers!
Basilisk Lizards
Their large feet have given these lizards the ability to run over water. For this, they have even earned the name “Jesus Christ lizard”, since they can run on water.
These lizards are found in Central America, mostly Mexico and Guatemala. They feed on insects like ants and termites, while some species also eat fruits and vegetables. They prefer to stay near the riverbank where their food is usually present (and more often than not, they end up drinking river water).
Nevertheless, they have a lifestyle that is very similar to that of Sailfin lizards, though they may be typically a little smaller in size.
Final Thoughts
We can really only make one conclusion: lizards are fascinating. That’s it. No matter how much we try to understand them, there remains a lot about these creatures that will forever be unsolved and continue to intrigue us!
Nonetheless, perhaps the only thing that can actually help us understand them is to see them for ourselves and to observe them. That is the only way to truly understand something.
Anyways, who knows what tomorrow brings? Maybe we will find out more about lizards… All we can say for sure right now is that it’s almost lunchtime! Let’s go make us some sandwiches or something.
See y’all later!
