When most people think of lizards, they picture the small, quick reptiles sunning themselves on rocks or scurrying across the ground. While this is certainly true for many lizard species, there are also a surprising number that have adapted to aquatic environments. Let’s take a look at some of the most fascinating lizards that live in water.
The Marine Iguana – A True Ocean Dweller
The marine iguana (Amblyrhynchus cristatus) is likely the first lizard species that comes to mind for those familiar with aquatic lizards As their name suggests, marine iguanas spend much of their time in and around the ocean They are found only in the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador.
Some key facts about the marine iguana:
- Can dive over 30 meters deep and stay submerged for up to an hour
- Feed almost exclusively on marine algae
- Have special glands to expel excess salt from their bodies
- Are strong swimmers using lateral undulation like sea snakes
- Males can grow over 1.3 meters long (females slightly smaller)
Marine iguanas are perfectly adapted to their coastal habitat. Their flattened tails work as rudders when swimming, and their sharp claws allow them to grip rocky surfaces to avoid being swept away by waves. While marine iguanas do spend time basking on land, they will never venture far from the safety of the sea.
Unfortunately, marine iguanas are classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List due to threats such as illegal hunting, habitat destruction, introduced species, and climate change Protecting their fragile coastal ecosystems will be key to ensuring the marine iguana’s long term survival
Mangrove Monitors – At Home On Land and Sea
The mangrove monitor (Varanus indicus) is a large monitor lizard species found across coastal areas of the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans Mangrove monitors spend a significant portion of their time hunting in shallow coastal waters
Some key facts about the mangrove monitor:
- Can grow to over 1.5 meters long (including the tail)
- Able to secret excess salt from glands in their nose
- Excellent swimmers and can stay submerged for up to 45 minutes
- Opportunistic feeders that prey on fish, crabs, molluscs, birds, small mammals, and more
- Semi-arboreal and often found in coastal swamp forests
The salt-excreting glands of the mangrove monitor allow them to comfortably inhabit brackish and marine environments. Their partially webbed feet and powerful tails make them agile swimmers capable of chasing down fast moving fish. Mangrove monitors may patrol coastlines looking for washed up carrion or even venture out to offshore islands over 6 km away!
The Aquatic Chameleon – The Water Anole
Most people are familiar with chameleons of the rain forests and savannas of Africa. But did you know there is a species of Caribbean anole that has adapted to an almost completely aquatic lifestyle?
The water anole (Anolis vermiculatus), also known as the aquatic chameleon, takes refuge underwater when threatened. Some key facts about this unusual lizard:
- Found in coastal regions of Central America and northern South America
- When submerged, recycles air via a bubble under the chin
- Able to absorb oxygen through its skin while underwater
- Remains submerged for extended periods until danger has passed
- Often perches on branches overhanging the water
- Maximum length around 8 inches including the tail
Water anoles have specially adapted skin which allows cutaneous respiration. They are slow and cautious moving on land but effective at escaping predators by plunging below the waterline. Their ability to essentially “breathe” underwater gives them expanded refuge opportunities in their wetland habitat.
The Jesus Lizard – Sprinting on Water
The basilisk lizard has a rather divine talent – the ability to sprint across the surface of water. Also known as the Jesus lizard, the basilisk (genus Basiliscus) can run upright approximately 15 feet on water using unique appendages on its hind feet.
Some interesting facts about this water-walker:
- Found in wetland and rainforest habitats of Central and South America
-Rear feet have long, thin toes with specialized fringes
-When threatened, sprint rapidly across the water to avoid predators
-Capable of speeds up to 5 ft/second but tire quickly
-Their bodies remain above the water surface when “water-walking”
How does the basilisk achieve this gravity-defying skill? As the lizard races across the water, its thin rear toes slap and stroke the surface, creating air pockets that prevent its body from sinking. This allows it to essentially skip across the water like a stone. After a short sprint, however, the exhausted lizard must swim to safety or risk drowning.
Axolotls – The Eternally Aquatic Salamander
The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is not technically a lizard but rather a neotenous salamander. Axolotls exhibit an extremely rare trait – they retain their juvenile, aquatic form throughout their entire lives. Most salamanders metamorphosize into terrestrial adults, but axolotls simply never do.
Some key facts about these perpetual tadpoles:
- Native only to Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City
- Can breathe through highly branched external gills
- Capable of regenerating limbs, organs, spinal cord, even portions of the brain
- Primarily carnivorous, eating worms, insects, small fish
- Average length of 8-12 inches
- Kept as pets and important laboratory animals
- Critically Endangered in the wild
Axolotls thrive in cold freshwater lakes and canyons. They have very minimal lungs and remain aquatic and gilled their entire lives. Axolotls are considered a neotenic species, meaning they retain juvenile features well into adulthood. Unfortunately, Lake Xochimilco’s waterways have become heavily polluted, threatening the last remaining wild populations.
Closing Thoughts
As we’ve seen, lizards occupy an impressive diversity of aquatic habitats from coastal mangrove forests to highland streams. Marine iguanas graze on seaweed while basilisks sprint on water as if by magic. And who can forget the perpetually smiling face of the axolotl? Hopefully you’ve gained a new appreciation for lizards that decided to make water their home. There are many more fascinating aquatic lizard species beyond those covered here. With continued habitat protection, we can ensure these amazing creatures continue to thrive in their watery worlds.
Acquiring an Axolotl
Look for active animals with all of their limbs and their fin intact, and a bushy set of gills. A healthy axolotl will be slightly plump and always interested in food. Avoid axolotls with discolored or opaque eyes, any hairy growths on the body (these could be a fungal or bacterial disease), forward-curling gills or curled tail tips. All of these are indicators of potential health problems. Quarantine new acquisitions in a different aquarium for at least a month to limit the chances of passing any diseases on to axolotls you already own. Axolotls aren’t territorial, but they do think with their stomachs and may make a meal of their tankmates, particularly when they are young.
Male axolotls are more slender than females, and they often have proportionately longer tails. Adult males also have a more enlarged cloaca (the bulge directly behind where the back legs meet the body) than females. Mature females are often decidedly round at the hindquarters due to eggs. Don’t worry about female axolotls not laying — unlike with reptiles, egg binding is not a true health concern in the majority of amphibians.
Axolotls are rarely available at pet stores, but many pet stores can order them if you ask. Breeders usually sell their youngsters through the Internet, and buying from a breeder generally ensures a healthy animal that has received the best care. In the continental United States, California and New Jersey prohibit the possession of axolotls, even as pets, due to the concern of axolotls interbreeding with their wild, native relatives, such as the critically endangered California tiger salamander (A. californiense), and in New Jersey, the eastern tiger salamander (A. tigrinum), which is not endangered. Check your local laws before acquiring an axolotl.
Transport axolotls the same way you would fish — minimize sudden temperature changes by keeping them in an insulated box, and keep trauma to a minimum by covering the container so the axolotl can’t see out.
Leucistic axolotls are white with dark eyes, and sometimes they have a few black markings along the top of the body.
Types of Axolotls
Axolotls are available in a dazzling array of colors. The original axolotl, known as the “wild type,” is a brown animal with darker blotches. Albinos are golden yellow with pink eyes and red gills. Leucistic axolotls are white with dark eyes, and sometimes they have a few black markings along the top of the body. White albinos possess the leucistic and albino genes, resulting in a completely white animal with pink eyes. There are melanoid/melanistic animals that are a dark brown or black, with a bluish tinge. Melanistic albinos are also available, and these are similar to white albinos. Melanistic animals lack the reflective ring of pigment around each eye, whereas white albinos do not. Scientists recently genetically engineered an axolotl that has a small amount of jellyfish DNA. These axolotls are known as GFP axolotls, named as such because they possess a green fluorescent protein, which gives a greenish tinge to the body and results in distinctly green eyes. In the pet trade, these are often referred to as emerald-green axolotls, but this is really only true of the eyes. Scientists developed this form of axolotl for transplant and developmental experiments, because shining an ultraviolet light reveals the green color, allowing easy tracking and identification of tissue originating from a GFP donor animal.
There are slight color variations on the forms just described, but there are also piebald axolotls and an extreme form, which combines a piebald appearance with patches of orange. This last type is known in the hobby as a harlequin, and it is very hard to come by.
Unlike most salamanders, axolotls remain in their aquatic form for life.
Wildlife Instincts: Survival Techniques – Iguana vs. Basilisk | Free Documentary Nature
FAQ
What kind of lizard lives in the water?
Lindsey Swierk, assistant research professor of biological sciences, documented that the water anole (Anolis aquaticus) is able to breathe under water for …Mar 26, 2019
Is a water monitor lizard poisonous?
Although monitor lizards do secrete venom, it is not fatal to humans. The main cause for concern would be bacterial infection from the bite.
Is an axolotl a lizard?
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Axolotls are salamanders:They belong to the Urodela order of amphibians, which includes salamanders and newts.
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Lizards are reptiles:They are classified as reptiles, along with turtles, snakes, and crocodiles.
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Axolotls exhibit neoteny, a phenomenon where they retain their juvenile aquatic features throughout their lives, including feathery gills and a long tail, even when they are fully mature.
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Metamorphosis:Most salamanders undergo metamorphosis, transforming from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults, but axolotls don’t fully metamorphose.
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Habitat:While some salamanders live on land, axolotls are fully aquatic and remain in the water their entire lives.
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Physical Features:Axolotls have a long, cylindrical body, short legs, and feathery external gills, which are used for breathing underwater.
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Endangered Species:Axolotls are critically endangered, and their populations have declined due to habitat loss, water pollution, and invasive species.
What is a water lizard called?
… called a plumed or double-crested basilisk; but its amazing ability to run on water gives this species its most recognizable moniker: the Jesus Christ lizard
What lizards live in water?
Mertens’ Water Monitor is found in It is an aquatic lizard that basks on rocks and branches near water. It drops into water when disturbed and can stay underwater for long periods. Click to continue> The Perentie is the largest lizard in Australia. It has a long neck and a stout, robust body with long, tapering tail.
What are aquatic lizards?
Aquatic lizards, as the name suggests, are reptiles that have evolved to thrive in aquatic environments. They possess specialized adaptations that set them apart from their land-dwelling counterparts. These unique creatures exhibit various physical characteristics that allow them to navigate through the water effortlessly.
Where do lizards live?
They are found chiefly in the Australasian Archipelago, but extend to the Solomons and eastern Australia in the east, and to Ceylon, Peninsular India and north-west China in the west and north. 31 species with 123 subspecies are at present known.