ask

From Middle English asken (also esken, aschen, eschen, etc.), from Old English āscian, from Proto-West Germanic *aiskōn, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eys- (“to wish; request”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian aaskje (“to ask, demand, require”), West Frisian easkje (“to ask, demand, require”), Dutch eisen (“to demand, require”), German heischen (“to ask, request, implore”), Russian иска́ть (iskátʹ), Sanskrit इच्छति (iccháti) (whence Hindi ईछना (īchnā).

cog

African-American Vernacular, Cajun, Nigeria, proscribed

ax

alternative pronunciation until about 1600, now dialectal and no longer standard


web-footed gecko

en-noun

web-footed gecko (plural web-footed geckos)

A type of gecko, Palmatogecko rangei, from Namibia and adjacent areas, having broad, webbed feet


caiman

From Spanish caimán or Portuguese caimão, from Kari'na acayouman.

A semi-aquatic lizard, of the genus Dracaena, found in South America. To differentiate from caimans, they are referred to as caiman lizards.


basilisk

From Middle English basilicke, borrowed from Old French basilique, from Latin basiliscus, from Ancient Greek βασιλίσκος (basilískos) (literally "minor king or chieftain", possibly based on descriptions or rare encounters with different types of cobra which have crown-like patterns on their head; the "deadly gaze" could have been from the spitting cobra's ability to spit venom into the eyes of predators or prey from a distance), from βασιλεύς (basileús, “king”). The cognitohazard/infohazard sense is by analogy with the deadly gaze of the mythical creature.

As a guide to start your collection we'd suggest either iguanas, tejus, swifts, basilisks, horned toads or alligator lizards.

Any of the tree-dwelling of lizard of the genus Basiliscus: the basilisk lizard.


blindworm

Inherited from Middle English blynde worme, equivalent to blind + worm due to its very small eyes.

inh+

[…] we haue a blind worme to be found vnder logs in woods, and timber that hath lien long in a place, which some also doo call (and vpon better ground) by the name of [s]low worms, and they are knowen easilie by their more or lesse varietie of striped colours, drawen long waies from their heads, their whole bodies little excéeding a foot in length, & yet is there venem deadlie.

1577, Raphaell Holinshed, “[http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A68197.0001.001 [(please specify the book title).] Chapter 6.]”, in The Firste Volume of the Chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande […], volume I, London: […] [Henry Bynneman] for Iohn Harrison, →OCLC, page 228:

You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,
Come not near our fairy queen.

c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “A Midsommer Nights Dreame”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:

"But I'll give you a bit of advice! Take a blindworm - I'll find you one - and ram it into the barrel of your gun and then fire it, after that you may try what powder and shot will do."

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 77:

Anguis fragilis
Anguis fragilis#Translingual

Anguis fragilis (slowworm), a small species of legless lizard.


Komodo dragon

/kəˈmoʊdoʊ ˈdɹæɡən/

Varanus komodoensis
Varanus komodoensis#Translingual

Varanus komodoensis, an endangered species of monitor lizard native to certain Indonesian islands east of Java, the world's largest lizard, growing to 10 feet or 3 meters, known for its ability to kill prey with its septic saliva.


monitor

From Latin monitor (“warner”), from perfect passive participle monitus (“warning”), from verb monere (“to warn, admonish, remind”). Warship sense is from USS Monitor, the first ship of this type.

The information flashed up on the monitor.

(computing) A device similar to a television set used as to give a graphical display of the output from a computer.

So, as she did not like the masters to be prying about the play-ground out of school, she chose from among the biggest and most trustworthy of her pupils five monitors, who had authority over the rest of the Boys, and kept the unruly ones in order.

1871, Henry William Pullen, The Fight at Dame Europa's School:

But it was not so—at least, not always—for though they fell out among themselves, they united their forces against the common enemy—the monitors!

1881, Talbot Baines Reed, chapter X, in The Fifth Form at St. Dominic's:

He learned that a monitor should assist the teachers in distributing worksheets, maintaining class discipline, helping classmates in need and so on.

(Can we date this quote?), Pearl Poon, Class Monitor Election, Hong Kong ICAC Comics:

(Hong Kong, Singapore, archaic in British) A student leader in a class.


skink

From Middle French scinc, from Latin scincus, from Ancient Greek σκίγγος (skíngos), σκίγκος (skínkos).

A lizard of the family Scincidae, having small or reduced limbs or none at all and long tails that are regenerated when shed; a sandfish.


swift

en-adj

swift (comparative swifter, superlative swiftest)

swifter (comparative)
swiftest (superlative)

From Middle English swift, from Old English swift (“swift; quick”), from Proto-Germanic *swiftaz (“swift; quick”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)weyp- (“to twist; wind around”). Cognate with Icelandic svipta (“to pull quickly”), Old English swīfan (“to revolve, sweep, wend, intervene”). More at swivel.


swift

Swift (bird)
Swift (disambiguation)
Swift (textiles)

A small plain-colored bird of the family Apodidae that resembles a swallow and is noted for its rapid flight.

ҫыр чӗкеҫӗ

śyr č̬ĕk̬eś̬ĕ

, spiny lizard

Any of certain lizards of the genus Sceloporus.

(entomology) A moth of the family Hepialidae, swift moth, ghost moth.


swift

en-adv

swift (comparative more swift, superlative most swift)

more swift (comparative)
most swift (superlative)

Light boats sail swift, though greater hulks draw deep.

c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii]:

Ply swift and strong the oar.


gecko

The modern form was probably borrowed into English and other European languages from Dutch gekko (1718). Contemporary English forms were chacco (1711) and jackoa (1724). The further origin is not quite clear. Some sources mention a supposed Malay gekok, gekoq, or gekop, which would be imitative of the gecko’s chirping sound. Another theory derives it from Acehnese gèh-gòh (“busy”).

Order II. Sauria. […] The heart has two auricles. The body is covered with scales, and there are three or four feet. The lungs are large, and extend along the back. The mouth is armed with teeth, and the toes with claws. The tail is long, and often thick at the base. […] Geckotida—geco

1839, William Rhind, “Reptiles”, in Elements of Zoology; Embracing a View of Life as Manifested in the Various Gradations of Organized Beings, Edinburgh: Fraser & Crawford; John Anderson, Junior; and Maclachlan & Stewart; Smith, Elder, & Co. and H. Washbourne, London; W. Curry, Junior, & Co. Dublin, →OCLC, pages 85–86:

Leishmania infantum in Experimental Animals.—Experiments were carried out with geckoes, white mice, field mice (Microtus güntheri) and hamsters (Cricetus auratus and Cricetulus griseus).

1931, Proceedings of the Royal Society of London: Biological Sciences, volume 108, London: Royal Society of London, →OCLC, page 456:

GECKOES constitute a family of lizards remarkable for the large number of species it contains. They are also remarkable for a number of other features: for the readiness with which they have taken to living in houses, for their voices, the structure of their feet, the variation in the shape of the tail and for their eyes. […] As with the more familiar lizards, geckoes have the ability to cast the tail, and counts show that in some species two out of every five individuals have cast the tail and regenerated a new one.

1962, Maurice Burton, “Geckoes”, in The Illustrated London News, volume CCXL, number II, London: Illustrated London News & Sketch Ltd., →OCLC, page 548:

Family Gekkonidae (gekkos). In gekkos the skull is short and flat; the upper temporal bone arch is missing; the post-orbital and lacrimal bones are absent; and the jugal bone is very reduced.

1971, Victorian Year Book, Melbourne, Vic.: Government Printer, →OCLC, page 23:

Many lizards, including the British common and sand lizards of the family Lacertidae, clamber over rocks with great agility; none matches the geckoes, some of which can run up, down, or across vertical glass as easily as most beasts run on the flat, and indeed can happily traverse ceilings.

1975 September 27, Colin Tudge, “How Gekko gecko defies gravity: A careful anatomical study of geckoes, those extremely agile climbing lizards, reveals an extraordinary degree of adaptation of the foot bones and muscles”, in New Scientist, volume 67, number 968, London: New Science Publications, →OCLC, page 696:

Other reptiles found in the district are the chamaeleon, geco and monitor lizard, the last getting extinct due to netting and shooting. It is now protected by law.

1988, Uttar Pradesh District Gazetteers: Aligarh, volume 20, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India: Government of Uttar Pradesh, →OCLC, page 15:

The marvelous ability of geckos to run down trees, surefooted and head first, was first noted by Aristotle over two thousand years ago. However, Aristotle was not able to see the tiny hairs, called setae, that cover the toes of geckos and empower this feat. The setae are part of an adhesive system that allows geckos to maneuver on a wide variety of substrates, to run upside-down, and to arrest their falls. Geckos can run vertically at over 1 m/s and can carry over twice their body weight up smooth, vertical surfaces.

2009 January, Ginel Corina Hill, “Introduction”, in Dual-axis MEMS Force Sensors for Gecko Adhesion Studies (unpublished Ph.D. dissertation), Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University, →OCLC, page 1:

The potential uses for gecko-inspired adhesive products are nearly endless. People have found possible uses for them from sports and robotics, to medicine and home improvement.

2014, Wil Mara, From Gecko Feet to Adhesive Tape (Innovations from Nature), Ann Arbor, Mich.: Cherry Lake Publishing, →ISBN, pages 21–22:

By day, Golden-tailed Geckoes rest under curls of bark, the underside of branches, or in tree hollows but they seem to be fond of heat so these geckoes may even be in a situation where the sun shines on their daytime retreat all day. The Golden-tailed Gecko is an invertebrate-eater and by night its adhesive toe pads allow it to prowl the branches of Brigalow trees with ease, looking for small insects and spiders to capture.

2016, Martyn Robinson, Australian Wildlife after Dark, Clayton, Vic.: CSIRO Publishing, →ISBN:

Any lizard of the family Gekkonidae. They are small, carnivorous, mostly nocturnal animals with large eyes and adhesive toes enabling them to climb on vertical and upside-down surfaces.


iguana

/ɪ.ɡjuˈɑːnə/

A green iguana (Iguana iguana), a large tropical American lizard often kept as a pet.

(zoology) Any member of the genus Iguana.

Colloquially, in America and the Pacific, any of several members of the lizard family Iguanidae.

إِغْوَانَا

Colloquially, in Africa, any large member of the genus Varanus, especially the aquatic Nile monitor (see leguan).

The last they had had, was an iguana one of the blacks had brought in; and though he felt disgusted at the idea of eating it, he made up into a kind of stew, and they both enjoyed it immensely.

1887, Harriet W. Daly, Digging, Squatting, and Pioneering Life in the Northern Territory of South Australia, page 161:

(Australia, formerly) Any member of the genus Varanus (see goanna).


chameleon

From Middle English camelion, from Old French cameleon, from Latin chamaeleon, from Ancient Greek χαμαιλέων (khamailéōn), from χαμαί (khamaí, “on the earth, on the ground”) + λέων (léōn, “lion”); ultimately a calque from Akkadian 𒌨𒈤𒊭𒆠 (nēšu ša qaqqari, “chameleon, reptile”, literally “lion of the ground", "predator that crawls upon the ground”). The spelling was re-latinized in the early 18th century. The physics sense was coined by Justin Khoury and Amanda Weltman in 2003 in a paper in Physical Review Letters.

der

A contagious neuro-ego-disease. A virus sticking to liars.
We're the self-centered fuel to boost the new strain of fire.
Adapting, shifting, lacking opinion. Our numbers exceeding the billions.
Everly walking among ourselves down the corridor of chameleons.

1998, “Corridor of Chameleons”, performed by Meshuggah:

A small to mid-size reptile, of the family Chamaeleonidae, and one of the best known lizard families able to change color and project its long tongue.


Gila monster

From the Gila River in Arizona and New Mexico, whose name may ultimately derive from
a Yuma word meaning "running water which is salty".

A venomous lizard, Heloderma suspectum, that lives in the deserts of the southwestern USA and northwestern Mexico.


agama

From Sranan Tongo agama (“lizard”), from a Gbe language; compare Ewe agama (“chameleon”).

Any of the various small, long-tailed lizards of the subfamily Agaminae of family Agamidae, especially in genera Acanthocercus, Agama, Dendragama, Laudakia, Phrynocephalus, Trapelus and Xenagama.


zonure

From translingual Zonurus, from zon- (“girdle, belt”), from Ancient Greek ζώνη (zṓnē, “girdle, belt”) + -urus (“-tailed”), from Ancient Greek οὐρά (ourá, “tail”).

uder

Any one of several of South African lizards of the genus Zonurus (now Smaug), common in rocky environments.


safeguard

en-verb

safeguard (third-person singular simple present safeguards, present participle safeguarding, simple past and past participle safeguarded)

safeguards (present singular third-person)
safeguarding (participle present)
safeguarded (participle past)
safeguarded (past)

From Middle English savegard, from Middle French sauvegarde, from Old French salve garde, sauve garde, reconstructed as safe + guard.

(UK, Ireland, by extension) To implement safeguarding.


goanna

A respelling in Australia of guana, from iguana. Rhyming slang sense rhyming on colloquial pronunciation 'pianner'.

Four goannas ran up the tree, and the animals of the bush had preyed so very lavishly on the remains of mortality that the thorax and other parts of the neck, together with various portions of flesh from the body, were missing.

1832, Coroner's Inquest, November 15, The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser, p. 3

Hello! There's a goanna; that's a good sized one; but nothing to the one that I tumbled over when I was coming from the Big River.

1849, The Ring, April 21, Bell's Life in Sydney and Sporting Reviewer, p. 2

I'll think of how the kids come alive walking around sandplains / reading tracks, looking for goannas, digging up witchetty grubs / collecting berries, branches of bush medicines.

2022, Meg Mooney, Northern Territory Literary Awards, page 33:

Any of various monitor lizards native to Australia.


monitor lizard

From the obsolete taxa Monitor and Lacerta monitor now displaced by Varanus within the single-species family Varanidae. The word Monitor is a calque of German Warner, which is a loanword from Arabic وَرَن (waran). The conflation of the two words was encouraged by the lizards' habit of standing on their hind legs and appearing to monitor their surroundings.

Any of various large carnivorous lizards of the family Varanidae, all of whose extant species are of genus Varanus, native to Africa, Asia and Australia.


slowworm

From Middle English sloworm (possibly influenced by slow), from Old English slāwyrm (“slow-worm, blindworm”), from *slā (related to Norwegian slo (“slow-worm”), Swedish slå (“slow-worm”)) + wyrm (“worm, snake”). Compare Swedish ormslå.

inh

Well, sir, it may be we shall have some better orations of it anon: well, Ile watch you as narrowly as ever you were watcht, and Ile play with you as the nightingale with the slowworme;[…]

c. 1588, Robert Greene, “Scene Eleventh. Frier Bacons cell.”, in The Honorable Historie of Frier Bacon and Frier Bongay:

A small Old World lizard, Anguis fragilis, often mistaken for a snake, having no legs and small eyes.


caiman lizard

Any semi-aquatic lizard, of the genus Dracaena, found in South America


teiid

The teiids we know today are a New World family, ecological counterparts of Old World lacertids. Historically, teiids had a wider distribution, at least in the Northern Hemisphere.

2003, Eric R. Pianka, Laurie J. Vitt, Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity, published 2006, page 195:

As in our study, he found that taxonomic groups cluster together in morphospace (i.e. iguanians together, teiids and varanids together).

2007, Lance D. McBrayer, Clay E. Corbin, “9: Patterns of head shape variation in lizards: morphological correlates of foraging mode”, in Stephen M. Reilly, Lance D. McBrayer, Donald B. Miles, editors, Lizard Ecology, page 293:

The highly attuned nervous system of racerunners and teiids makes them very adept at locating and grasping prey insects.

2008, R. D. Bartlett, Patricia Bartlett, Lizard Care from A to Z: From Anoles to Zonosaurs, page 146:


perentie

From Dieri pirrinthi (or other Karnic language).

Joshua stuck his tongue in and out like a lizard's and, twisting his fingers into claws, dug them crabwise into the sand to imitate the perenty’s walk.

1987, Bruce Chatwin, The Songlines, Vintage, published 1998, page 153:

The largest Australian monitor lizard or goanna, Varanus giganteus.


leguaan

From French l’iguane, "the iguana", through Dutch and Afrikaans.

2001 : Finally, a help plea yesterday from Debbie Thompson of Gonubie -- what to do about a small leguaan that had taken up residence in her "somewhat wild" garden with big trees, dense shrubs and hedges? http://www.dispatch.co.za/2001/01/18/editoria/CHIEL.HTM

2006 : This is the view of Sazi Mhlongo, chair of the Traditional Healers's Association of SA (Thasa). It follows the recent court appearance of a sangoma and five others after police discovered the skins of various protected animals in the sangoma's house. The skins included that of a lion, leopard, puff adder and water leguaan. https://web.archive.org/web/20060926093033/http://www.pawtal.co.za/pages/article.asp?ID=337


frilled lizard

The lizard Chlamydosaurus kingii, native to northern Australia and southern New Guinea, which has a large contractile membranous frill around its neck that usually stays folded against its body but is extended in territorial and courtship display.


anole

Any of the genus Anolis of chiefly arboreal dactyloid lizards native to the Americas, which feature a brightly colored dewlap and the ability to change color.


blue-tongue lizard

en-noun

blue-tongue lizard (plural blue-tongue lizards)

Any of several species of Australian skinks in the genus Tiliqua.


bluetongue

bluetongue (countable and uncountable, plural bluetongues)

“I don't worry about snakes, blue-tongues, spiders. All I worry about is the mutton-bird.”

2004, Nicholas Shakespeare, In Tasmania, Harvill Press, p. 191

(countable, Australia) The blue-tongue lizard.


bloodsucker

From blood + sucker. Sense 5 (“changeable lizard”) is perhaps because of the reddish color of its neck.

The changeable lizard (Calotes versicolor).


amphisbaena

From Latin amphisbaena, from Ancient Greek ἀμφίσβαινα (amphísbaina, from ἀμφίς (amphís, “both ways”) + βαίνω (baínō, “I go”)).

der

1971: What do you call that animal that goes backward and forward, head at each end? —'Amphisbaena'. A kind of lizard. It doesn't exist. — Anthony Burgess, M/F (Penguin 2004, p. 109)

(mythology) A mythical serpent having a head at each end of its body, able to move in either direction.

ամֆիսբենա

A member of a genus of lizards, native to the Americas, having extremities which are very similar.

amphisbène

any of the genus Amphisbaena of legless lizards


tokay

The tokay gecko, a spotted lizard native to Asia and some Pacific islands.


leopard gecko

The markings on its body resemble those of a leopard.

A nocturnal ground-dwelling gecko, Eublepharis macularius.


worm lizard

Most species of worm-lizard still retain remnants of their pelvis and pectoral girdle (hips and shoulders), but only four species from Mexico out of the 180 currently known around the world still have functioning forelimbs.

2016 July 13, Elsa Panciroli, “How did legless worm-lizards cross the Atlantic?”, in The Guardian:

Any of many small limbless burrowing tropical squamate reptiles, of the family Amphisbaenidae or of the superfamily or suborder Amphisbaenia, that resemble worms.


green anole

An arboreal lizard, Anolis carolinensis, native to the southeastern United States

североамерика́нский красного́рлый ано́лис


chuckwalla

Borrowed from Spanish chacahuala, from either Shoshone tcaxxwal or Cahuilla cháxwal.

An iguana, of the genus Sauromalus, living in arid regions of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.


sanda

bor

Hindi सांडा (sāṇḍā)

The sanda is easily caught by a horse-hair noose placed over the opening of his burrow, which is always of uniform shape, and the exact size of what would be a mid-section of the reptile. The sanda is in great repute as a resotorative and aphrodisiac, and even high caste Hindus, such as Brahmans and Rajpats, boil them down into a strong soup.

1893, North Indian Notes and Queries - Volume 3, page 99:

Bhantus catch the sanda, or broad-tailed lizard, which dwells in rat-holes in the ground and lives always in fear of the cobra, in the following manner: — The Sansi sallies forth with a wooden mallet in one hand and a tuft of tough grass in the other. On his belly he wriggles up to the sanda's hole, rustling the tuft of grass with a noise which resembles the crackling of a snake's scales. The sanda comes up tail foremost, and blocks the orifice with his pachydermatous appendage. The Sansi then delivers a crushing blow with the mallet on the earth an inch or two on the inside of the sanda, closes the passage, cuts off retreat, extracts the lizard and stuffs it into his shirt.

1913, Journal of the Gypsy Lore Society, page 122:

A favourite prey species is the sanda or spiny-tailed lizard.

1997, Valmik Thapar, Land of the Tiger: A Natural History of the Indian Subcontinent, →ISBN:

A desert reptile, Saara hardwickii, a type of spiny-tailed lizard.


water monitor

An Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator), a large lizard native to Southeast Asia.

tiníléítsoh naʼałkǫ́ʼígíí

large lizard native to Southeast Asia, Varanus slavator


kabaragoya

Borrowed from Sinhalese කබරගොයා (kabaragoyā).

bor+

The Chairman said that Kegalla raised the question of protecting the Kabaragoya from destruction and the Department of Agriculture took up the matter[…].

1923, The Tropical Agriculturalist, volume 60, page 287:

[…]I remember after-school cricket matches on Layard's Road and wickets knocked over by kabaragoyas;[…].

2007, Amitav Ghosh, Incendiary Circumstances: A Chronicle of the Turmoil of our Times, page 37:

Cobras had nothing to fear from men; their most deadly enemy was the kabaragoya, of which two called our campus home.

2009, H. Ronken Lynton, Veiled Destinies, page 52:

2012, Arcadius (Shelton A. Gunaratne), Village Life in the Forties: Memories of a Lankan Expatriate, page 150,
A kabaragoya, scenting food, tried to drive away the crows, slashing at them with its tail.

The water monitor, Varanus salvator, a large lizard of Southeast Asia.


lace monitor

A monitor lizard of species Varanus varius, native to Australia.


lacertid

From the name of the first discovered example, BL Lacertae.

In the same diagram a compact galaxy, 3C 371, and a Seyfert, 3C 120, lie very close to the Lacertids.

1975 July 10, “Quasars and Lacertids show a family likeness”, in New Scientist, page 61:

These reliably variable objects included three ROCOSs (OE 400, OI 090.4, and PI034-293) and two lacertids (AO 0235+164 and OJ 287).

1990, Bulletin of the Special Astrophysical Observatory-North Caucasus, volumes 24-26, page 67:

We have identified six radio sources in the Zelenchuk (RATAN-600) catalog with two quasars, two lacertids, and two pairs of galaxies.

1993, Astronomy Reports, volume 37, American Institute of Physics, page 466:

active galactic nucleus
active galactic nucleus

(astronomy) A type of blazar (highly variable active galactic nucleus) that lacks spectral emission lines characteristic of quasars.


moloch

From Hebrew מולך (molokh, “Ammonite god, worshipped by Canaanites and Phoenicians, who demanded child-sacrifice. Mentioned in Leviticus and Deuteronomy”).

bor

Any of species Moloch horridus of Australian lizards, sole species of the genus Moloch.


blue-tongued skink

en-noun

blue-tongued skink (plural blue-tongued skinks)


regal horned lizard

regal horned lizard (plural regal horned lizards)

Phrynosoma solare, a horned lizard, with a wide toad-shaped body about seven inches long, noted for the ten horns that form a crown-like structure on its head.


horned lizard

Any of some 14 species of lizard in the genus Phrynosoma, generally with wide toad-shaped bodies less than a foot long, noted for the horny structures on their heads.


mastigure

From translingual Mastigurus (“genus Uromastyx”), from Ancient Greek μάστιξ (mástix, “a scourge, a whip”) + οὐρά (ourá, “a tail”). Compare Uromastyx.

uder

Any of the spiny-tailed lizards of the genus Uromastyx.


beardy

The fascinating "beardie" is not a tit at all, but belongs to an Asian family, the parrotbills.

1988, Michael Cady, Rob Hume, editors, The Complete Book of British Birds, page 242:

(informal) A bearded person or animal:
A bearded reedling.

But she always kept her distance whenever one of my beardies was out of its cage, as if Moose merely acted like a good-natured lap lizard to throw her off[…].

It is impossible to determine the sex of beardies as babies or juveniles, so if you are thinking of breeding them, you may have to buy four or five and raise them in individual enclosures.

2007, Steve Grenard, Bearded Dragon, page 52:

The bearded dragon will reach its adult length by one year. Baby beardies quickly grow into long, strong lizards!

2008, Suzanne Buckingham, Meet the Bearded Dragon, page 20:

(informal) A bearded person or animal:
A bearded dragon.

Beardies grow fast. They grow like a weed and can be as unsightly as one.

1996, Andrew De Prisco, James Burris Johnson, Choosing a Dog for Life, page 73:

Beardies take two to three years to mature, so be prepared for typical puppy activity during this time.

2005, Don Burke, The Complete Burke's Backyard: The Ultimate Book of Fact Sheets, page 754:

(informal) A bearded person or animal:
A bearded collie.

Loaches (or beardies) often also thinned our preserves, and in this they were occasionally helped by small eels. Whenever beardies got within an enclosure containing only creepers and caddis worms, in a very short space of time the beardies alone were left, so rapacious are these small fishes.

1864, John Younger, River Angling for Salmon and Trout : With a Memoir and List of the Tweed Salmon Casts, page 180:

(informal) A bearded person or animal:
Any of several kinds of fish; a loach.


tegu

From teguexin, from Nahuatl tecoixin (“lizard”).

Any of the South American lizards of the families Teiidae and Gymnophthalmidae.

especially any of genus Tupinambis, which is sometimes kept as a pet.


varanoid

(zoology) Any member of the superfamily Varanoidea of lizards, including the well-known Australian family Varanidae (the goannas).


varanid

From scientific Latin Varanidae (family name).

Although fossils of giant varanids had been known since the mid-1800s, the discovery that giant lizards were still among us, albeit on a few isolated islands in far-away Southeast Asia, was met with fascination and excitement.

2017 May 17, Hanneke Meijer, The Guardian:

Any lizard of the genus Varanus; a monitor lizard.


anguimorph

Any lizard of the infraorder Anguimorpha.


legless lizard

Any of the several groups of lizards of the family Pygopodidae which have lost limbs or reduced them to the point of uselessness.


fuck-you lizard

en-noun

fuck-you lizard (plural fuck-you lizards)

Named during the Vietnam War, as the lizard's cry could be heard as fuck you. The fuck sound is quite clear and short in duration, followed by a pause of about half a second and the elongated you. The same sound could also be heard as tokay (as in tokay gecko), as tokeh (as in tokeh-tokeh), or as tuctoo, all of which are other English names of the lizard.

The mating call of a tokay gecko (fuck-you gecko)

listen

“Relax, son,” he whispered, “it’s only a fuck-you lizard.”

1988, Russell E. McLogan, Boy Soldier: Coming of Age During World War II, Terrus Press, page 141

“Uccck-ouuu.” Small Deer said, imitating a Fuck-You Lizard to perfection.

2004, Mike Sutton, No Survivors, Author House, page 176:

At least it wasn’t a fuck-you lizard, I thought.

2009, Wayne Karlin, Wandering Souls: Journeys with the Dead and the Living in Viet Nam, Nation Books, page 269:

(military slang, vulgar) The tokay gecko (Gekko gecko), native to Southeast Asia.


acrodont

Pleurodont lizards are such as have the teeth attached by their sides {148} to the inner surface of the jaw, in contradistinction to acrodont lizards, which have the bases of their teeth anchylosed to the summit of the margin of the jaw.

1871, St. George Mivart, On the Genesis of Species:

The known skeletal remains of Longisquama lack any other diagnostic archosaurian characters [the furcula mentioned by Jones et al. consists of paired clavicles, as Sharov originally noted], but they exhibit two features, acrodont teeth and an interclavicle ( 3 ), that are typical of lepidosaurs.

2001 March 9, Richard O. Prum with et al., “Longisquama Fossil and Feather Morphology”, in Science, volume 291, number 5510, →DOI, →ISSN, pages 1899–1902:

Having teeth immovably united to the top of the alveolar ridge.

ránőtt fog

having teeth united to the top of the alveolar ridge


acrodont

One of a group of lizards having the teeth immovably united to the top of the alveolar ridge


sungazer

One who takes part in sungazing, staring at the Sun.


galliwasp

Any of the lizards in the genus Celestus.


iguanid

(zoology) Any lizard of the family Iguanidae.


sandfish

en-noun

sandfish (plural sandfishes or sandfish)

belted sandfish

Serranus subligarius in family Serranidae

Other animals that notably burrow in sand:

sandfish skink (Scincus scincus), a land-dwelling lizard that swims in sand


whiptail

whiptail (countable and uncountable, plural whiptails)

Social status may be less important to red-necked wallabies, which, unlike whiptails, are "essentially solitary" (McEvoy 1970).

1977, New Zealand Journal of Zoology, volume 4, number 4, page 409:

pretty-faced wallaby
pretty-faced wallaby

A pretty-faced wallaby (Macropus parryi).


savannah monitor

savannah monitor (plural savannah monitors)

Varanus exanthematicus
Varanus exanthematicus#Translingual

Varanus exanthematicus, a species of monitor lizard.


lacertine

en-adj

lacertine (comparative more lacertine, superlative most lacertine)

more lacertine (comparative)
most lacertine (superlative)


lacertian

/ləˈsəːtɪən/


wall lizard

A small, thin species of lizard found in Europe and North America, Podarcis muralis.


snow skink

Any skink in the taxonomic genus Niveoscincus, endemic to south-eastern Australia (Tasmania and Victoria).


horned frog

But among all the harmless reptiles of Texas, decidedly the most singular is the horned frog; it resembles the common frog […]

1855, John Wright, William Wright, Recollections of Western Texas, published 1995, page 41:

The horned frog is a native of Texas and Lower California, where he is found inhabiting the sandy soil of the prairies and the pockets of the small boy. / The horned frog is really no frog at all, but a lizard traveling incognito.

1912, J. W. Reading, “Locomotive Engineers Journal”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), volume 47:

I have always had aspecial affinity for horned toads, probably because I went to Texas Christian University, whose mascot is the horned frog

2012, Lonn Taylor, Texas, My Texas: Musings of the Rambling Boy:

(US) Synonym of horned lizard; genus Phrynosoma, especially the Texas horned lizard.


iguanian

Any of the suborder Iguania of iguanas, chameleons, agamids, and "New World lizards".


agamid

Bright male colors are exhibited primarily during sexual and aggressive displays in iguanids, agamids, chamaeleonids, gekkonids, lacertids, and teiids.

1992, William E. Dooper, Neil Greenberg, “Reptilian Coloration and Behavior”, in Carl Gans, David Crews, editors, Hormones, Brain, and Behavior, page 398:

Agamids and chamaeleonids are sister-groups, presumably with the chameleons diverging early from an agamid stock. Agamids and chameleons uniquely share an acrodont dentition on the dentary and posterior maxillary.

1993, George R. Zug, Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, page 439:

Whereas Chamaeleonidae and Iguanidae now appear to be monophyletic, Agamidae is not (Macey et al. 1997) because chameleons evolved from agamids, though they have traditionally been excluded (a problem easily resolved by recognizing a clade called Acrodonta, which includes both agamids and chameleons).

2006, Eric R. Pianka, Laurie J. Vitt, Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity, page 144:

(zoology) Any of the family Agamidae of lizards, including many dragons.


xantusiid

(zoology) Any of the family Xantusiidae of night lizards.


night lizard

These lizards were once (wrongly) thought to be nocturnal.

Any of the family Xantusiidae of very small, viviparous lizards.


pygopodid

/ˈpaɪɡəʊˌpɒdɪd/

(zoology) Any member of the family Pygopodidae, the legless lizards.


gekkonid

Non-gekkotans and non-gekkonid gekkotans were used as outgroups and/or in establishing calibrations for the timetree analysis ....

2013 January 8, Aaron M. Bauer et al., “A preliminary phylogeny of the Palearctic naked-toed geckos (Reptilia: Squamata: Gekkonidae) with taxonomic implications”, in Zootaxa, volume 3599, number 4, page 306:

(zoology) Any member of the family Gekkonidae, the largest family of geckos.


teguexin

From Nahuatl tecoixin (“lizard”); compare tegu.

A large South American lizard with yellowish spots; a gold tegu.


lizardskin

en-noun

lizardskin (countable and uncountable, plural lizardskins)

He placed the dried lizardskin on the table.

She wore a lizardskin coat and lizardskin boots.

The skin of a lizard, or leather made from it.


thunderworm

From thunder + worm, so called because it leaves its burrows after a thunderstorm.

A small burrowing snake-like lizard (Rhineura floridana) native to Florida.


hemidactyl

(zoology) Any species of Old World geckos of the genus Hemidactylus; house gecko


pygopod

(zoology) Any species of serpentiform lizards of the family Pygopodidae, which have rudimentary hind legs near the anal cleft, but lack forelegs.


geckotian

The Geckotians, is composed of nocturnal lizards, so much resembling each other that they might be left in one genus.

1831, Georges Cuvier, The animal kingdom arranged in conformity with its organization, page 140:

It proved to be nothing more that a lizard of the geckotian family, hideously ugly, but, in common with all of his kind, perfectly harmless.

1871, Arthur Morelet, Travels in Central America: Including Accounts of Some Regions Unexplored Since the Conquest, page 278:

Other saurians have folds of skin along the flanks; but in no other of them is this disposition so developed as in a curious geckotian, the Ptychozoon homacephalum of Java and other Sunda Islands.

1890, M. Maurice Maindron, “Dragons, fabled and real”, in The Popular Science Monthly, volume 36:


scincoid

Latin scincus a kind of lizard, from Ancient Greek σκίγγος (skíngos), σκίγκος (skínkos), + -oid. Compare skink.


dabb lizard

Dabb from Arabic ضَبّ (ḍabb, “spiny-tailed lizard”).


stellion

From Latin stellio (“a newt with starlike spots on its back”), from stella (“star”).

der

A lizard (Laudakia stellio or Stellagama stellio). It is olive-green with small stellate spots, commonly found in the rocky areas around the Mediterranean.


fanfoot

A gecko of the genus Ptyodactylus, having toes expanded into large lobes for adhesion.


worral

From Arabic وَرَل (waral, “monitor lizard”).

The Worral is a Sort of Lizard, which sometimes is thirty or forty Inches in Length, usually of a bright reddish Colour […]

1744, The travels of the late Charles Thompson, Esq.:

(obsolete) a monitor lizard of Egypt, including both the Nile monitor (Varanus niloticus) and desert monitor (Varanus griseus).


amphisbaenid

From scientific Latin Amphisbaenidae (family name).

Today, four species of amphisbaenids survive in Europe—two on the Iberian Peninsula and two in Turkey.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 51:

(zoology) Any member of the Amphisbaenidae; a worm lizard.


xenosaurid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Xenosauridae.


anniellid

(zoology) Any member of the family Anniellidae.


anguid

(zoology) Any member of the family Anguidae.


bipedid

(zoology) Any member of the family Bipedidae.


chamaeleonid

Chamaeleonids have carried the trend further; nearly all species have lost or greatly reduced vomeronasal and olfactory systems [Parsons, 1970; Gabe and Saint Girons, 1976] and rely, instead, on vision.

1993, S. Karger, Brain, Behavior and Evolution, volume 41, page 133:

Iguanids apparently were isolated in Africa by epicontinental seas and gave rise to chamaeleonids in the west and agamids in the east; the scincomorphs radiated in Laurussia, giving rise to the teiids in North America and lacertids in Europe.

2007, Thomas T. Veblen, Kenneth R. Young, Antony R. Orme, editors, The Physical Geography of South America, page 119:

Chamaeleonids’ ears have simplified over time, and they are not visible externally, being covered with skin and scales. Unlike other lizards, chamaeleonids possess neither an exterior aperture nor a tympanic membrane, but they share some skeletal and fluid structure similarities with snakes.

2009, François Le Berre, Richard D. Bartlett, The Chameleon Handbook, page 31:

(zoology) Any lizard of the family Chamaeleonidae; a chameleon.


cordylid

(zoology) Any member of the family Cordylidae.


crotaphytid

collared lizards
collared lizard#English

(zoology) Any member of the Crotaphytidae, or collared lizards.


corytophanid

/ˌkɒɹɪtəʊˈfænɪd/

/ˌkɑɹɪtoʊˈfænɪd/

From translingual Corytophanidae + -id. Corytophanidae is derived from Ancient Greek κόρῠθος (kórŭthos, “helmet”) + φᾰνερός (phănerós, “visible”) + -idae, referring to the lizard’s prominent helmet-like head crest.

The species differs from other corytophanids by having a triangular-shaped head casque projecting posteriorly past the head.

2004 October 30, Josiah H. Townsend, James R. McCranie, Larry David Wilson, “Corytophanes cristatus (Merrem): Smoothhead Helmeted Basilisk, Turipache Selvático”, in Andrew H. Price, editor, Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles, New York, N.Y.: Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, →DOI, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2021-03-25, page 789.2, column 1:

(herpetology (saurology)) Any lizard in the family Corytophanidae; a casquehead or helmeted lizard.

Harvard University
Jonathan Losos
Museum of Comparative Zoology


dibamid

(zoology) Any lizard of the family Dibamidae.


diplodactylid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Diplodactylidae.


eublepharid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Eublepharidae.


gerrhosaurid

/ˌdʒɛɹəˈsɔːɹɪd/

(zoology) Any member of the family Gerrhosauridae of plated lizards.


gymnophthalmid

(zoology) Any lizard of the family Gymnophthalmidae.


helodermatid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Helodermatidae


hoplocercid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Hoplocercidae.


lanthanotid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Lanthanotidae.


liolaemid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Liolaemidae.


oplurid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Opluridae.


phrynosomatid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Phrynosomatidae.


polychrotid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Polychrotidae or subfamily Polychrotinae.


rhineurid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Rhineuridae.


scincid

(zoology) Any member of the family Scincidae, the skinks.


shinisaurid

Although present in most closely related anguids, this character is absent in platynotans with the exception of all shinisaurids, the monstersaurid Primaderma and the mosasaurid Dolichosaurus.

2015 July 16, “Evidence of Egg Diversity in Squamate Evolution from Cretaceous Anguimorph Embryos”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Shinisauridae.


sphaerodactylid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Sphaerodactylidae.


trogonophid

(zoology) Any lizard in the family Trogonophidae.


tropidurid

(zoology) lizard in the family Tropiduridae.


platynotan

Any anguimorph lizard of the clade Platynota


tokay gecko

en-noun

tokay gecko (plural tokay geckos or tokay geckoes)

tokay geckos (plural)
tokay geckoes (plural)

Borrowed from Malay tokek. First attested in 1753, ultimately of onomatopoeic origin and imitative of its mating call.

A species of gecko native to Southeast Asia, Gekko gecko.


viviparous lizard

viviparous lizard (plural viviparous lizards)

Zootoca vivipara
Zootoca vivipara#Translingual

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see viviparous, lizard.

Zootoca vivipara, known as the common lizard in its relatively northerly Eurasian range.


scuttler

(historical) A member of a local youth gang in working-class areas of Manchester, Salford, and surrounding townships during the late 19th century.


gekkotan

(zoology) Any member of the Gekkota infraorder of reptiles, the geckos.


ocellated lizard

ocellated lizard (plural ocellated lizards)

Timon lepidus (syn. Lacerta lepida), a large wall lizard.


bluebelly

From blue + belly. The ventral abdomen of the adult lizard is characteristically blue. The soldiers wore blue gaberdines.

Sceloporus occidentalis, a North American lizard.


spiny-tailed lizard

spiny-tailed lizard (plural spiny-tailed lizards)


leaf-tailed gecko

leaf-tailed gecko (plural leaf-tailed geckos)

Saltuarius eximius, in the family Carphodactylidae, native to the Melville Range in Northeastern Australia.


sand lizard

Any of many species of lizards found in sandy environments

especially, Lacerta agilis, a lizard distributed across most of Europe and eastwards to Mongolia.


varanine

(zoology) A monitor lizard; a member of the subfamily Varaninae.


western fence lizard

western fence lizard (plural western fence lizards)


beaded lizard

In reference to the many small bead-like protrusions on its skin.

Any venomous lizard of family Helodermatidae.

Especially, a species of venomous lizard found principally in Mexico and southern Guatemala, Heloderma horridum.


Jesus lizard

So called because they can run on water; walking on water was one of the miracles ascribed to Jesus Christ.

Any of the Latin American lizards of the genus Basiliscus.


pogona

From the genus name, from Ancient Greek πώγων (pṓgōn, “beard”).

Additionally, DNA of following species not covered by the assay was tested to exclude cross-reactivity: macaque, budgerigar, pogona, and carp.

2015 July 6, “Automated Forensic Animal Family Identification by Nested PCR and Melt Curve Analysis on an Off-the-Shelf Thermocycler Augmented with a Centrifugal Microfluidic Disk Segment”, in PLOS ONE, →DOI:

A bearded dragon, any lizard of the genus Pogona, native to Australia.


alligator lizard

alligator lizard (plural alligator lizards)

As a guide to start your collection we'd suggest either iguanas, tejus, swifts, basilisks, horned toads or alligator lizards.

(US) Any of several species of lizards in the genera Elgaria and Gerrhonotus.


American chameleon

American chameleon (plural American chameleons)

An arboreal lizard native to the southeastern US, Anolis carolinensis, best known for its ability to change skin color in the same manner as a chameleon


casquehead

Any casquehead lizard (family Corytophanidae).


corytophanine

(herpetology (saurology)) Any lizard of the genus Corytophanes


dactyloid

Any lizard / anole of the family Dactyloidae


shinisaur

Chinese crocodile lizard
Chinese crocodile lizard

Any lizard of the genus Shinisaurus (Chinese crocodile lizard).


amphisbaenian

Amphisbaenians lost their legs independently of the snake lineage and belong to their own distinct part of the squamate tree.

2016 July 13, Elsa Panciroli, “How did legless worm-lizards cross the Atlantic?”, in The Guardian:

(zoology) Any member of the Amphisbaenia, the clade of worm lizards.


fence lizard

western fence lizard
western fence lizard

Any of several species of North American lizards in the genus Sceloporus, especially the eastern fence lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), the western fence lizard (Sceloporus occidentalis), and the southwestern fence lizard (Sceloporus cowlesii)


side-blotched lizard

side-blotched lizard (plural side-blotched lizards)


ctenotus

From the genus name, translingual Ctenotus.


changeable lizard

changeable lizard (plural changeable lizards)

Calotes versicolor, an Asian agamid that can camouflage itself by changing colour.


hardim

The hardims are of an olive-green color shaded with black, and below a pale yellow.

1888, John Sterling Kingsley, The Riverside Natural History, volume 3, page 414:

The Stellio, sometimes called the Hardim by the Arabs, is a well-known Lizard inhabiting Northern Africa, Syria, and Greece.

1898, John George Wood, Animate Creation: Popular Edition of "Our Living World," a Natural History, volume 5:

(obsolete) Synonym of stellion (a kind of lizard)


paramacellodid

Clipping of translingual Paramacellodidae

clipping

translingual <i class="Latn mention" lang="mul">Paramacellodidae</i>

Any extinct scincomorph lizard of the family Paramacellodidae


ascalabotan

Scientists have made our work a bit easier by dividing living lizards into two major groups: the ascalabotans and the autarchoglossans.

1987, Arthur Rosenfeld, Exotic Pets, page 84:

(zoology) A squamate of the clade Ascalabota


platynotid

Autotomy has such an obvious survival value that it is interesting to inquire why the ability to perform has been lost, reduced, or never gained in such groups as agamids, some iguanids, chameleons, a few geckos and skinks, and all platynotids.

1995, Ambika Prasad Diwan, Embryology of Reptiles, page 150:

Mosaursaurids^([sic]) are fossil marine lizards (DeBraga and Carroll, 1993) part of the varanoid (platynotid) clade within Anguimorpha (Lee, 1997).

2001, Hiran M. Dutta, Vertebrate Functional Morphology:

A member of the clade Platynota of anguimorph lizards.


lesbian lizard

So called because, despite reproducing asexually, and being an all-female species, the whiptail still engages in mating behavior with other females of its own species.

New Mexico whiptail
New Mexico whiptail#English

(informal) Synonym of New Mexico whiptail


sheltopusik

From Russian желтопузик (želtopuzik), literally "yellow-bellied".

Pseudopus apodus, a large glass lizard found from southern Europe to Central Asia.


chamaeleontid

Any lizard of the clade Chamaeleontiformes


worrel

The rat, called ichneumon, which has been fabled to destroy the crocodile, by leaping down it's throat and gnawing through it's belly; the cameleon; and the worrel, which is said to be affected by music; all are natives of Egypt.

1785, William Frederick Martyn, The Geographical Magazine; or, a New, Copious, Compleat, and Universal System of Geography, page 639:

Obsolete form of worral (“monitor lizard”).


Wegner's glass lizard

en-noun

Wegner's glass lizard (plural Wegner's glass lizards)

Currently, Wegner’s glass lizard is listed as data deficient by the IUCN Red List, which means scientists don’t have enough information to even determine if the species is at risk of extinction.

2018 March 20, Jeremy Hance, The Guardian:

A species of glass lizard, Ophisaurus wegneri, found in Sumatra.


marine iguana

Marine iguanas line the shores of the islands, and are usually seen sprawled over lava rocks near the sea.

1991, Martha Holmes, Sea Trek, BBC Books, page 44:

A species of iguana, Amblyrhynchus cristatus, native to the Galápagos Islands, that can forage in the water.


hardun

Originally distributed from Arabia to western Turkey and on numerous islands of the Aegean Sea, more recently the hardun has been inadvertently transported to northern Greece, Corfu, and the vicinity of Alexandria (Egypt).

2013, Douglas M. Considine and Glenn D. Considine, Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia, page 60:


house gecko

Any lizard in the genus Hemidactylus. Several species live in houses.


leopard lizard

Any member of the genus Gambelia, spotted lizards native to arid regions of the western US and northern Mexico.


collared lizard

collared lizard (plural collared lizards)

Any lizard in genus Crotaphytus, native to arid parts of southwestern North America and having distinctive markings on the back behind the head.


zebra-tailed lizard

zebra-tailed lizard (plural zebra-tailed lizards)

A lizard of southwestern US and northern Mexico deserts with black and white markings on its tail, of species Callisaurus draconoides.


fringe-toed lizard

fringe-toed lizard (plural fringe-toed lizards)

Any member of the genus Uma, sand-dwelling lizards of deserts in southwestern North America.


glass lizard

When it slithers through the grass, the legless glass lizard is indistinguishable from a snake.

2015 March 16, Andreas Wagner, “Possible creatures”, in Aeon:

A member of the genus Ophisaurus, comprising some fifteen species of legless lizards.


house lizard

Hemidactylus frenatus
Hemidactylus frenatus#Translingual

Common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus), native to southeast Asia.


common house gecko

common house gecko (plural common house geckos)


racerunner

Any of a group of lizards, of the family Teiidae, native to the Americas.

Any of a group of lizards, of the genera Eremias or Pseuderemias


salipenter

Borrowed from Guyanese Creole English [Term?].

A species of the polecat, and another of the fox, are destructive to the Indian's poultry; while the opossum, the guana, and salempenta, afford him a delicious morsel.

1825, Charles Waterton, “First Journey”, in Wanderings in South America, the North-west of the United States, and the Antilles, in the Years 1812, 1816, 1820, and 1824. […], London: Printed [by A[ugustus] Applegath] for J. Mawman, […], →OCLC, page 8:

The Salempenta or El Mateo, measuring from the tail to the nose three feet, is exceedingly ugly; colour chiefly a brownish green, with yellow spots; and marked in the most extraordinary hieroglyphical manner; [...] The Salempenta has (like the Chameleon, and several others of the same species) in some measure the faculty of changing its colour when in any way excited, either through fright or anger; [...]

1834, R[obert] Montgomery Martin, “British Guyana— …”, in History of the British Colonies. … In Five Volumes, volume II (Possessions in the West Indies), London: Cochrane and M‘Crone, […], →OCLC, page 104:

A large land-lizard, called the Salempenta, or Salipanta, is likewise common, and is said to destroy fowls.

1869, Greville John Chester, “British Guiana”, in Transatlantic Sketches in the West Indies, South America, Canada, and the United States, London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC, page 131:

Salempenta (Teius Teguexin).—This fine lizard is sometimes called the Safeguard, because it is supposed to give notice of the approach of the alligator, just as the African monitors are believed to warn travellers against the crocodile. [...] Like the iguana, the Salempenta affords very delicate food, which is thought to resemble the flesh of a very delicate young chicken. New comers are at first averse to eating a lizard of any description, but they very soon find out their mistake, and would even prefer an iguana or Salempenta cutlet to a chicken.

1879, J[ohn] G[eorge] Wood, “Explanatory Index”, in Charles Waterton, Wanderings in South America, the North-west of the United States, and the Antilles, in the Years 1812, 1816, 1820, and 1824. […] Edited, with Biographical Introduction and Explanatory Index, new edition, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 467:

How far foxes, ocelots, hawks, yellow-tail and other snakes, and salempentas, contribute towards keeping down rats by destroying them for food is not easily determined. That the last named is an excellent ratter, I know from actual observation.

1894, S. R. Cochran, “Some Enemies of Our Cane-fields”, in James Rodway, editor, Timehri: The Journal of the Royal Agricultural and Commercial Society of British Guiana, volume VIII (New Series), Demerara: J. Thomson, →OCLC, page 104:

I know very little about the details of the regular diet of salempentas, but fowls' and lizards' eggs and chickens are favorites. My nephew wounded a plover and as it was only slightly hurt, he tethered it with a string under the house. In a short time he found a large salempenta on the end of the string, having swallowed the bird.

1919, William Beebe, quoting Edgar Beckett, “Field Notes on the Lizards of Kartabo, British Guiana, and Caripito, Venezuela. Part 3. Teiidae, Amphisbaenidae and Scincidae.”, in [Henry] Fairfield Osborn [Jr.], editor, Zoologica: Scientific Contributions of the New York Zoological Society, volume 30, part 1, New York, N.Y.: New York Zoological Society, published 27 April 1945, →OCLC, page 25, column 2:

Lizards usually have white flesh, tasting more like fowl than anything else. The Salempenta lizard of Guiana, which is amphibious and unpleasant to behold, is a favourite dish of the Indians.

1922, Chambers’s Journal, volume XCIX, part 139, London, Edinburgh: W[illiam] & R[obert] Chambers […], →OCLC, page 421, column 1:

I could sting you for a bounty of reparations, but keep your money and let me talk like dis and dat, let me say I come from the tribe of Bongo-Bongo; that I am germane and first-cousin to jungle beasts like anthropophagi, hermaphrodites, salipenters and all the other creatures dreamt of by your writers or discovered by your travellers.

1999, David Dabydeen, A Harlot’s Progress, London: Jonathan Cape, →ISBN, page 5:

Along its bank a salipenter, the colour of the mud, sped furtively, its eyes on some domestic fowls picking at the verge of the mud hole.

2004, Deloris Craig, “The Crossing”, in Labba and Creek Water Stories from the Caribbean, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire: Nelson Thornes, →ISBN, page 118:

Their [iguanas'] eggs and meat are food resources for predators such as salipenter (Tegu lizard), hawks, vultures, and humans.

2012 January 22, “Iguana”, in Stabroek News, Georgetown, Guyana: Guyana Publications, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2012-02-06:

Slowly, he peeped from behind his hiding place just in time to see a black-and-white furry object dash behind a salipenter.

2015 October 28, Rohan Singh, chapter 1, in Adventures of Suliman and the Sandopie, [Bloomington, Ind.]: Xlibris, →ISBN:

Fruits and a ‘salipenter (large lizard)’ were what he used to help with his hunger.

2016 August 11, Neil Primus, “Goings and Comings”, in Nigel Williams, editor, Guyana Chronicle, Georgetown, Guyana: Guyana National Newspapers, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2020-03-21:

(Guyana) A tegu lizard (genus Tupinambis), especially the gold tegu (Tupinambis teguixin).


necrosaur

Any lizard of the extinct family Necrosauridae


basilisk lizard

basilisk lizard (plural basilisk lizards)

My first impression was that the behavior was identical to that of Central American basilisk lizards (Basiliscus) or the South American lizard Uranoscodon, both of which run across water when approached.

2006, Eric R. Pianka, Lizards: Windows to the Evolution of Diversity, page 73:

A tree-dwelling lizard of the genus Basiliscus.


racehorse goanna

racehorse goanna (plural racehorse goannas)


sand goanna

A large monitor lizard native to Australia (Varanus gouldii).


bungarra

Our jam-tree, too, as Villiers knows, / Adds zest to boiled bungarra; / But p'r'aps he doesn't also know, / Though jam-trees in profusion grow, / We're also "Canning-Jarrah"

1902, A Mingled Yarn, March 30, The Sun, p. 4

On nearing the spot they were surprised to see a 5ft., or more, bungarra with its head through the hand grip of the bag.

1923, A Thirsty Bungarra, April 5, The Mullewa Mail, p. 3

This one bungarra, an' he lookin' for berry bush. But he know that fella eagle watchin' him and he know that fella is cunnin' fella.

1986, Jack Davis, “No Sugar”, in Heiss & Minter, editor, Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature, Allen & Unwin, published 2008, page 61:

(Australia) One of several species of large Australian monitor lizard, usually Varanus gouldii or Varanus panoptes.


stumptail

In the yellow sand of the track ahead a stumpy tail lizard lies inert.

1965, Mudrooroo, Wild Cat Falling, HarperCollins, published 2001, page 129:

An Australian lizard, Tiliqua rugosa, that has a stumpy tail.


zonosaurine

Pertaining to the lizard subfamily Zonosaurinae, the zonosaurs.


rock lizard

Any of the small lizards, of several genera in family Lacertidae, that dwell in rocky places.

Any of the species of genus Petrosaurus in family Phrynosomatidae in suborder Iguania.


horned toad

A South American frog of the genus Ceratophrys


necrosaurid

Any extinct varanoid lizard of the family †Necrosauridae


alderman lizard

alderman lizard (plural alderman lizards)


plated lizard

A lizard from the family Gerrhosauridae, native to Africa.


dragon lizard

Dragon lizards include frill-necked lizards and thorny devils. They are distinct from other lizards by being spiky, rather than smooth and shiny, and from the unique formation of their teeth.

2019 May 24, Calla Wahlquist, The Guardian:

A member of the Agamidae family of iguanian lizards.


Christmas Island whiptail skink

Christmas Island whiptail skink (plural Christmas Island whiptail skinks)

Christmas Island whiptail skinks (plural)

The Christmas Island whiptail-skink or forest skink (Emoia nativitatis), which is listed as critically endangered under the Australian Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act, is listed as extinct on the IUCN Red List.

A species of skink, Emoia nativitatis, native to Christmas Island.


sand skink

An ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus), found in sandy places in southern Europe.


sphenomorphine

Any lizard of the subfamily Sphenomorphinae


hoplocercine

Any lizard of the genus Hoplocercus (sometimes of the family Hoplocercidae)


Yangihissar gecko

Yangihissar gecko (plural Yangihissar geckos)


geckolet

Any of various small geckos in the Sphaerodactylus genus


mabouya

Any of various skinks of the genus Eutropis.


swamplands lashtail

swamplands lashtail (plural swamplands lashtails)

northern water dragon
northern water dragon


jacky dragon

A species of agamid lizard, Amphibolurus muricatus, native to south-eastern Australia.


northern water dragon

northern water dragon (plural northern water dragons)

A species of agamid lizard, Tropicagama temporalis, native to northern Australia, New Guinea, and southeastern Indonesia.


lashtail

Any of various agamid lizards having long, thin tails.


water dragon

Any of various agamid lizards of eastern Asia and Australasia, including the genera Physignathus, Intellagama, and Tropicagama, all of subfamily Amphibolurinae.


eastern water dragon

eastern water dragon (plural eastern water dragons)

A subspecies of agamid lizard, Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii, native to coastal eastern Australia (from Cooktown southwards to central New South Wales).


Gippsland water dragon

Gippsland water dragon (plural Gippsland water dragons)

A subspecies of agamid lizard, Intellagama lesueurii howittii, native to coastal eastern Australia (from central New South Wales southwards to the Gippsland region of Victora).


Australian water dragon

Australian water dragon (plural Australian water dragons)

A species of agamid lizard, Intellagama lesueurii, native to eastern Australia (New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria).


jacuaru

Synonym of tegu (“South American lizard”)


frill-necked lizard

frill-necked lizard (plural frill-necked lizards)


frilly lizard

Synonym of frilled lizard (“Chlamydosaurus kingii”)

eastern bearded dragon
eastern bearded dragon#English

Synonym of eastern bearded dragon (“Pogona barbata”)


Bengal monitor

Varanus bengalensis, a monitor lizard distributed widely in the Indian Subcontinent, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and West Asia.


Tanishpa's dwarf gecko

Tanishpa's dwarf gecko (plural Tanishpa's dwarf geckos)

Microgecko tanishpaensis, a species of gecko.


Phnom Laang bent-toed gecko

Phnom Laang bent-toed gecko (plural Phnom Laang bent-toed geckos or Phnom Laang bent-toed geckoes)

Phnom Laang bent-toed geckos (plural)
Phnom Laang bent-toed geckoes (plural)

Cyrtodactylus laangensis, a species of gecko found in Cambodia.


Macaya green twig anole

Macaya green twig anole (plural Macaya green twig anoles)

Anolis singularis, a species of anole lizard found in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.


alpine meadow lizard

alpine meadow lizard (plural alpine meadow lizards)


southern litter skink

southern litter skink (plural southern litter skinks)

Caledoniscincus notialis, a species of skink lizard.


dwarf green anole

dwarf green anole (plural dwarf green anoles)

Anolis isolepis, a species of anole lizard.


Pedra Branca skink

Pedra Branca skink (plural Pedra Branca skinks)

Carinascincus palfreymani, a species of skink.


spotted sand lizard

spotted sand lizard (plural spotted sand lizards)

A desert-dwelling lizard endemic to Africa, of species Meroles suborbitalis.


Eastwood's whip lizard

Eastwood's whip lizard (plural Eastwood's whip lizards)

Tetradactylus eastwoodae, an extinct species of lizard.


sandfish skink

Scincus scincus, a species of skink notable for its habit of burrowing into sand.


Tanahjampea bent-toed gecko

Tanahjampea bent-toed gecko (plural Tanahjampea bent-toed geckos)

Cyrtodactylus tanahjampea, a species of gecko native to Tanah Jampea Island, Indonesia.


Baoruco giant anole

Baoruco giant anole (plural Baoruco giant anoles)

Anolis barahonae, a species of anole found in Hispaniola.


brown anole

Anolis sagrei, a species of anole endemic to Cuba and invasive to the United States.


Cuban striped curlytail

Cuban striped curlytail (plural Cuban striped curlytails)

Leiocephalus stictigaster, a species of Cuban curlytail lizard.


Goldman's bunchgrass lizard

Goldman's bunchgrass lizard (plural Goldman's bunchgrass lizards)

Sceloporus goldmani, a species of Mexican lizard.


Fischer's chameleon

Fischer's chameleon (plural Fischer's chameleons)

From Fischer (named in honor of Johann Gustav Fischer) + -'s + chameleon.

af

Kinyongia fischeri, a species of Tanzanian chameleon.


Solomon Island spiny monitor

en-noun

Solomon Island spiny monitor (plural Solomon Island spiny monitors)

A monitor lizard of species Varanus spinulosus.


Agassiz's anole

Agassiz's anole (plural Agassiz's anoles)

Anolis agassizi, a species of Colombian anole.


Laredo striped whiptail

Laredo striped whiptail (plural Laredo striped whiptails)

Aspidoscelis laredoensis, a species of exclusively female green-to-brown whiptail.


orange-throated whiptail

orange-throated whiptail (plural orange-throated whiptails)

Aspidoscelis hyperythrus, a species of teiid whiptail.


Atherton ctenotus

Atherton ctenotus (plural Atherton ctenotuses)

From Atherton + ctenotus (Skink in genus "Ctenotus").

com

Ctenotus monticola, a species of skink in the genus Ctenotus.


hagworm

Inherited from Middle English hagworme (“viper”), from Old Norse hǫggormr (“serpent”), from hǫgg (“stroke, blow”) + ormr (“worm, snake”). Cognate with Icelandic höggormur (“poisonous snake, serpent”), Swedish huggorm (“adder, viper”).


thorny devil

A lizard of species Moloch horridus, of Australia.


Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizard

en-noun

Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizard (plural Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizards)

Monte Cristo arboreal alligator lizards (plural)

From Monte Cristo + arboreal + alligator lizard.

com

Abronia montecristoi, a species of endangered anguid lizard found in El Salvador and Honduras.


eastern crevice skink

en-noun

eastern crevice skink (plural eastern crevice skinks)

From eastern + crevice skink (various skinks of the genus Egernia).

com

Egernia mcpheei, a species of large skink native to eastern Australia.


Texas spotted whiptail

en-noun

Texas spotted whiptail (plural Texas spotted whiptails)

Aspidoscelis gularis, a species of whiptail with six subspecies.


Texas spiny lizard

Texas spiny lizard (plural Texas spiny lizards)

Sceloporus olivaceus, a species of spiny lizard most commonly found in Texas, which tends to stay in trees for natural camouflage.


glyptosaurine

Clipping of translingual Glyptosaurinae + -ine

clipping

translingual <i class="Latn mention" lang="mul">Glyptosaurinae</i>

suf

(paleontology, zoology) Any extinct anguid lizard of the subfamily Glyptosaurinae, known for their osteoderms.


woodlizard

Any species in the genus Enyalioides, also sometimes called dwarf iguanas.


warty thick-toed gecko

en-noun

warty thick-toed gecko (plural warty thick-toed geckos)

From warty + thick-toed gecko (gecko of genus "Elasmodactylus").

com

(zoology) Elasmodactylus tuberculosus, a species of eastern-African gecko.


La Gomera giant lizard

en-noun

La Gomera giant lizard (plural La Gomera giant lizards)

For over a century the La Gomera giant lizard (Gallotia bravoana) was thought to be extinct.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 98:

A large species of lizard, Gallotia bravoana, native to the island of La Gomera.


Tenerife giant lizard

The Tenerife giant lizard, Gallotia goliath, was a one-metre-long herbivore, with powerful jaws.

An extinct species of lizard, Gallotia goliath, that lived on Tenerife.


Central American whiptail

Central American whiptail (plural Central American whiptails)

Actually, this last behavior is a good move for males of a number of species. Another lizard species, the Central American whiptail, has been observed offering a potential partner a lovely dead frog to eat before mating.

2022 October 24, Hannah Thomasy, “They May Have Love on Their Lizard Brains”, in The New York Times:

A brown-colored lizard, Holcosus festivus, native to Central America and northern South America.


six-lined racerunner

six-lined racerunner (plural six-lined racerunners)

Aspidoscelis sexlineatus, a species of lizard native to the United States and Mexico.


ringed spinytail iguana

ringed spinytail iguana (plural ringed spinytail iguanas)

Morunasaurus annularis, a species of iguana.


emo skink

/ˌiːməʊ ˈskɪŋk/


sunwatcher

One who tracks the movement of the Sun, as to keep time.


water anole

Most anoles live in trees, but the water anole lives along the banks of streams[…].

2004, Daniel J. Bickel, Glenn M. Shea, Encyclopedia of Discovery: Reptiles and Insects, Fog City Press, page 216:

A type of anole, Anolis aquaticus; a dactyloid lizard native to the western coast of Costa Rica.


earless dragon

Any of the Australian lizards of the genus Tympanocryptis.


curlytail

A Caribbean lizard of the family Leiocephalidae.


Jew lizard

Synonym of eastern bearded dragon (“Pogona barbata”)


eastern bearded dragon

eastern bearded dragon (plural eastern bearded dragons)


bobtail skink

Tiliqua rugosa, an Australian blue-tongued skink.


New Mexico whiptail

New Mexico whiptail (plural New Mexico whiptails)

Aspidoscelis neomexicanus, a parthenogenetic female-only species of lizard found in the southwestern United States in New Mexico and Arizona, and in northern Mexico in Chihuahua.


Argentine black and white tegu

Argentine black and white tegu (plural Argentine black and white tegus)

Argentine black and white tegus (plural)

Tupinambis merianae, otherwise known as the Argentine Black and White tegu, has had a complicated taxonomic history […]

2005 September 12, Joanna Carolyne Piercy, Estimating metabolic rate in tegu lizards (Tupinambis merianae): can one calculate oxygen consumption from heart rate?, Vancouver: University of British Columbia, →DOI, page 10:

A large, opportunistic lizard, the Argentine black and white tegu is at home in a variety of habitats, including villages and the outskirts of cities.

2014 July 21, Chris Mattison, “Reptiles”, in Nature Guide: Snakes and Other Reptiles and Amphibians (DK Nature Guides; 5), New York: DK Publishing, →ISBN, page 175:

The Argentine black and white tegu, already a problem in Florida and Georgia, has the “potential to be a big issue” if the reptile is able to establish itself in the region[…]

2024 January 2, Amaris Encinas, “South Carolina fears non-native tegu lizards could take root and wreak ecological havoc”, in USA Today, archived from the original on 2024-01-14:

the largest tegu lizard, native to eastern and central South America (Salvator merianae).


panther chameleon

panther chameleon (plural panther chameleons)

Furcifer pardalis, a Madagascan chameleon.


day gecko

Any gecko of the genus Phelsuma, notable for being diurnal when most other geckos are nocturnal.


Jackson's chameleon

Jackson's chameleon (plural Jackson's chameleons)

Described by Belgian-British zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1896 and named after English explorer and ornithologist Frederick John Jackson, who was serving as the first Governor of Kenya at the time of Boulenger’s description.

A chameleon of species Trioceros jacksonii, native to Africa, but also introduced to Hawaii, Florida, and California.

Frederick John Jackson
George Albert Boulenger


dart snake

(archaic) A lance skink, any of the genus Acontias of legless skinks.


gargoyle gecko

Rhacodactylus articulatus, a gecko native to New Caledonia.


crested gecko

A species of gecko; Correlophus ciliatus.