A genus of small desert lizards, particularly the zebra-tailed lizard, known for their striped tails and quick movements across sandy terrain.
From Greek 'kallos' (beauty) + 'sauros' (lizard), meaning 'beautiful lizard.' Named in the 19th century by herpetologists impressed by the distinctive stripe patterns of these desert dwellers.
The zebra-tailed lizard (Callisaurus draconoides) uses its striking black-and-white banded tail as a distraction signal—when a predator attacks, the tail's movement actually confuses the attacker while the lizard bolts away, a perfect example of evolution's creative solutions to survival.
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