World Lizard Day
2025-08-14 / Calendar of events
Every year on August 14, another holiday dedicated to representatives of the animal world is celebrated – World Lizard Day.
It is not exactly known on whose initiative and when it was established. But, according to one version, the authorship of the Day is attributed to the American biologist John Hunter, who in 2004 came up with this holiday in order to draw attention to the threats to which reptiles are exposed and their importance in the planet's ecosystem. Be that as it may, for several years now, Lizard Day has been celebrated by herpetologists, zoo employees and lovers of these unusual creatures.
Lizards are a group of reptiles of the order Scaly, which live on all continents of planet Earth, with the exception of Antarctica, and on most oceanic archipelagos. According to scientists, there are more than 7 thousand species of lizards in the world, which are very diverse. They can vary in size from a few centimeters and weigh 1 gram (chameleons and geckos) to three meters in length (Komodo dragon) weighing about 80 kg. Some species of these reptiles can change the color of their skin, others can move along vertical surfaces, thanks to the features of their paws.