Photo of the Day: the Colorful Galapagos Lava Lizard

The Galapagos Islandsare a paradise for reptiles and the people who love them. The diminutive and endemic Galapagos lava lizard is often overlooked in favor of the islands’ better know reptile species, such as the iconic giant tortoise and the fascinating marine iguana. Still, this colorful little creature is well worth a moment of your time. Seven separate species can be found scurrying about the archipelago. In Galapagos: A Natural History, opens in new tab, Michael H. Jackson, writes, “One species occurs on all the central and western islands (which were perhaps connected during periods of lower sea levels), while one species each occurs on the six other more peripheral islands.” Lava lizards eat a variety of insects and some plants, and are eaten by a variety of birds. Like many other lizard species, it has the ability to “drop” its tail when a predator grabs hold of it and grow a new one in its place.