Amidst the tropical streams and rivers of Central and South American rain forests live some of the most extraordinary creatures of our planet: the Jesus Christ lizards. Next to lizards that look like miniature dragons and that don’t need sex, these lizards more properly known as basillisks may be even more spectacular: they have the seemingly miraculous ability to run across water!
Already half a decade ago scientists found that some species of lizard do not need males to reproduce. However it has remained unclear how they can do this since asexual reproduction goes together with almost no genetic variation and higher disease vulnerability. A new study published online in Nature on the 21st of February reveals how.
Two Desert Grassland Whiptail lizards engaged in pseudocopulation. Photograph: Tino Mauricio
A gliding lizard looks like a miniature version of a dragon
This amazing looking creature may appear to be a miniature dragon, but is actually a gliding lizard. These lizards use their wings to fly from tree to tree which enables them to quickly get away from predators. Oddly enough, the wings are just a very well rearranged rib cage. By elongating their extended movable ribs, spanning the large flap of skin between their limbs, these arboreal reptiles can glide distances of over 60 meters.
Hi, I'm Jolle Jolles, the guy behind Mudfooted! With a great curiosity for natural history, Mudfooted.com is my journal where I report about our weird and fascinating natural world. Learn more...
