Small to medium-sized reptiles with four legs, long tails, and scaly skin, commonly found in warm climates.
From Old French 'lezarde,' from Latin 'lacerta.' The word may be related to Sanskrit 'alacri' or have Iberian roots, reflecting the Mediterranean origin of the scientific study of these creatures.
Lizards can detach their own tails when grabbed by predators—a trick called autotomy—and the severed tail keeps twitching for minutes to distract the predator while the lizard escapes, which is why they're a favorite study in neuroscience and biomimicry.
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