Lizard | San Diego Zoo Animals & Plants

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A pair of red-headed agama lizards rest on a large granite boulder

Male lizards use a variety of methods to attract a female's attention. They bob their head vigorously or display their brightest colors or best features. The green anole lizard inflates a rust-colored throat sack, called a dewlap, to win over the lady of his choice, sometimes keeping up this display for hours. Red-headed agamas are African lizards with brown skin. But when the male needs to make sure others see him, his head turns fiery red and his body and tail change to a bright, shiny blue. Other males may fight with each other until the weaker one gives up.

Most female lizards lay soft, leathery eggs and then call it a day—they don’t stick around to protect the eggs from harm or keep them warm. Fortunately, the newly hatched lizards are able to take care of themselves right away, without the mother’s help. Of course, there are exceptions to soft eggs and lack of care in the lizard world!

Baby Grand Cayman Blue iguana hatching from its egg.

The tokay gecko lays soft eggs that harden in the dry air and stick to the surface on which they were laid. The sandstone gecko lays eggs in rocky crevices, so these eggs have a tough cover. The Nile monitor lizard lays her eggs in termite mounds. The heat from the termites in the mound helps incubate the eggs. Some skink mothers return to the nest to warm their eggs, and some female skinks give birth to live young.

No matter what the circumstances of their start in life, baby lizards look like tiny versions of their parents.

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