Page 101 - World of Animals - Deadly Predators

Lizards

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Fighting

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Not all defence mechanisms are passive,
and the greater short-horned lizard is
certainly one species that doesn’t like to
go down without a fight. Able to adapt
their defensive behaviours depending
on their attacker, they have been known
to puff themselves up when faced with
narrow-necked snakes, making them
near-impossible to swallow. They will
also run at great speeds before stopping
suddenly to confuse predators giving
chase, but perhaps their most spectacular
mechanism is known as ocular auto
haemorrhaging. When under attack
from predators such as cats and dogs, at
least eight species of horned lizards are
GILA MONSTER
Heloderma suspectum capable of scaring off their attacker by
Lifespan 20-30 years squirting a stream of foul-tasting blood
Adult weight 350-700g from their eyes by restricting the blood
(0.7-1.5lbs)
The Gila monster is one of Conservation status flow leaving their head. This gruesome
the most venomous lizards and shocking tactic is surprisingly
in the world, producing effective at scaring off predators as large
a haemotoxin that can
cause respiratory failure in NEAR THREATENED as coyotes, whose hyper-sensitive sense
vulnerable adults of taste and smell is triggered by the
alarming display.

The ossified scales of
Mexican beaded lizards
protects them from other
predators and when
wrestling by providing a
tough armour

MEXICAN BEADED
LIZARD
Heloderma horridum
Lifespan 20 years
Adult weight 800g-2kg
(1.8-4.4lbs)
Conservation status
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