Hallo
nature-loving viewers
and welcome to
Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants
on Supreme Master
Television.
Today we will explore
the spectacular world
of lizards!
Lizards are among
the oldest animals on Earth,
first appearing more than
200 million years ago
alongside dinosaurs.
Lizards vary greatly in size,
with the smallest
just a few centimeters
in body length.
The Komodo Dragon is
the largest lizard species
measuring
up to three meters
from head to tail.
To date, thousands of
different kinds of lizards
have been identified.
They are found in almost
all parts of the world
except Antarctica.
The skins of
these exotic animals are
typically dry and scaly.
Most species of lizards
have four limbs,
but some only have two
and others,
that are more snake-like,
do not have legs at all.
Lizards are found in
a diverse range of habitats.
In the forests, deserts,
jungles, marshes,
prairies, and rocky areas,
we can find lizards
on the ground or in trees.
These reptiles
are ectotherms, meaning
they are cold-blooded
and thus
their body temperature is
dependent on the amount
of heat in their
external environment.
It is no wonder
that lizards love to bask
in the Sun!
During cold weather
lizards will hibernate
in order to survive
the harsh conditions.
Lizards are an important
part of the ecosystem
and sometimes
function as pollinators
and seed dispersers.
For example, Geckos that
drink nectar from flowers
of certain plants
help transfer pollen
from one plant to another.
Chuckwallas live
in the Mojave
and Sonoran Deserts
of the southwestern US,
and may eat fruit, buds,
leaves and flowers.
The Desert Iguana
of the southern US
and the Uromastyx
or Spiny-tailed lizard
of the Middle East
also have a similar diet.
A lizard species
that is known
as a strict vegetarian
is the Monkey-tailed skink
of the Solomon Islands.
The skink is active
during the night, dining
only on plants and fruits,
and makes his home
in the tropical rainforest.
Some lizards can live
for a very long time.
A Mexican beaded lizard
can live for
more than 30 years,
while a Cayman Island
Rock Iguana typically
lives for over 50 years.
Depending on the species,
some lizards are adept
at swimming,
while others can even fly.
The Draco lizard,
a tree dweller
found in India, Indonesia,
and the Philippines
uses wing-like membranes
connecting their front
and rear legs to glide
through wooded areas.
With their claws down,
Geckos are
sure-footed climbers.
They are the only species
of lizard with
well-developed vocal cords
allowing them
to chirp like a bird
or bark like a dog.
Geckos can also click
their tongues against
the roofs of their mouths.
What’s more remarkable
is that some species
of lizards; such as
the Basilisk lizards
of Central America
can run across water
on their hind legs alone!
With the help of special
scales on their feet which
help to distribute weight,
these lizards can run
for 4.5 meters at a rate
of 1.5 meters per second
without sinking!
Lizards have exceptionally
good eyesight.
New Zealand’s
native Tuatara
even has a third eye
on top of his head!
This special eye
is not used to see, rather
it is utilized to regulate
the amount of time spent
sitting in the Sun.
It is challenging to see
the eye in adult Tuataras
as it is covered with scales.
Many lizards
also have the ability
to change colors.
The chameleon is famous
for this behavior which
they use as a form
of communication
and as a camouflage.
Different species can
change colors ranging
from yellow, brown,
black, green, red, orange,
blue and pink.
The color is also
an indication of the physical
and physiological state
of the lizard.
One of the greatest skills
of these beautiful reptiles
is the ability to
escape danger in a flash!
Most lizards
have tapering tails and
some can detach them
in an emergency
for a quick getaway.
A smaller and softer tail
will eventually
grow back in time.
The sophistication
and complexity of lizards
does not end there!
In 2010, Dr. Ngô Văn Trí
of the Vietnam Academy
of Science and Technology
in Âu Lạc (Vietnam)
noticed that a group
of lizards he saw
in the Mekong Delta region
all appeared exactly alike
and every single one
was female.
He sent photographs to
his colleague in the USA,
Dr. L. Lee Grismer
a herpetologist and
Dr. Grismer’s son Jesse,
a herpetology
doctoral student.
The Grismers came to
Âu Lạc (Vietnam) to see
the lizards first-hand.
With the help
of local school children,
Dr. Văn Trí
and the Grismers
found nearly 70 lizards
of this species in the area,
and all were females.
The scientists concluded
that these amazing beings
are able to reproduce
by cloning themselves
through a process
known as parthenogenesis.
All baby lizards that hatch
are females and
are exact genetic copies
of the mother.
In honor of
Dr. Ngô Văn Tri,
the species has been
named after him and
is now formally known
as “Leiolepis ngovantrii.”
In the group of
sand lizard species,
there are eight species
in the world.
And this is the fourth species
known as
a self-cloning species.
The first species
and the second one
were publicized
by Mr. I.S. Darezsky,
an academician
of the Russian Academy
of Sciences.
He publicized the species
named Guentherpitersi of
Central Âu Lạc (Vietnam).
This is the second
self-cloning lizard species
in Âu Lạc (Vietnam)
and the fourth
self-cloning lizard
species in the world,
after the species
in Thailand.
Thailand also has a
self-cloning lizard species.
And this is the fourth
sand lizard species
in the world.
In fact, there are many
other self-cloning species.
Scientists have estimated
that the sand lizard species
make up
about one percent
of the total number
of self-cloning species
in the world, including
microorganisms
and other species.
There are a number
of hypotheses that
some species self-clone
to adapt themselves
to environmental changes
and their existence
in nature.
Scientifically up to now,
no one has been able to
prove how the process
of self-cloning happens.
Professor,
how is the self-cloning
sand lizard species
different from
other lizard species?
This is a very interesting
question for science.
Every species has the
ability to reproduce itself.
But in nature,
there are some species
which we can call
all-female species.
Maybe, since
they have eggs, people
often call them females.
In my opinion, they still
have something (different)
so that we cannot call
them females or males.
We provisionally
call them females
because they have eggs.
But in regards to biology,
their genes are different
from normal females’ genes.
For example,
the genes of humans
or of other species
have 2N chromosomes.
But this self-cloning species,
their genes have
3N chromosomes.
As their genes are different,
defining their gender
identity is rather difficult.
It is difficult
to say precisely they are
masculine or feminine.
Because they have eggs,
we provisionally
call them females.
The Leiolepis ngovantrii
reaches a length
of about 11.5 centimeters
when full grown.
The back of the lizard,
including the legs,
features brown dots
and yellow stripes.
Her main habitat
is the area where
the forest transitions
to seaside sand dunes.
The lizard’s skin provides
good camouflage
for sandy areas as well as
the forest floor
during the dry season
when the plants turn
yellow and brown.
We are standing
at the outside
of Bình Châu –
Phước Bửu Nature Reserve,
Xuyên Mộc District,
Bà Rịa Vũng Tàu Province,
where the sand lizard
species live.
In the distance
is Hồ Linh Mountain,
the symbol of Bình Châu -
Phước Bửu Nature Reserve.
This nature reserve
was established
in 1992 or 1993.
This is the area where
the Thèm salamander
species lives.
This species is big in size.
Sometimes in the wild,
it can weigh 800 grams,
and they have
both males and females.
But going into the forest
a little farther,
just going down about
five to seven meters,
we will reach the habitat
of the self-cloning
sand lizard species which
American scientists
have just discovered.
The natural environments
are different.
There are forests
which have sandy soil.
In front of us, the terrain
looks even and flat.
The traces of holes
dug by these sand lizards
are about 20 to 30
centimeters deep.
This is her hole.
Over there is the place
where her children live
and down here is her place.
Her hole is not that deep.
Here is the hole
in which the sand lizard
Leiolepis ngovantrii
is living in the sandy earth
of the Cajuput Forest.
The traces are still fresh.
This lizard has just eaten
at noon.
These lizards sometimes
live on the grass like that.
In the old days, there were
numerous sand lizards.
Look! Isn’t she beautiful?
Professor, do we now
have any policies and
activities to protect this
valuable and rare species?
Each province,
each region has plans
to protect this species
but in practice
this lizard species
is not protected.
Environmental laws
need supplementing
and modifying in time to
rescue new species which
are endangered species
or threatened species,
or other species
which we have not had
enough information to list
as species being in need
of special protection.
Do you want to send any
messages to everybody
on protecting animals?
From the viewpoint
of a conservationist,
I think the best is
that everyone
should not eat meat.
Our accolades,
Dr. Ngô Văn Trí,
Dr. Lee Grismer
and Jesse Grismer for
bringing this wonderful
all-female species
of sand lizard to
the attention of the world.
Yours is
a wonderful discovery
and this marvelous being
is another demonstration
of how all animals
and Mother Nature
are truly extraordinary.
For more details
on the Vietnam Academy
of Science and Technology,
please visit
www.Vast.ac.vn
Blessed viewers,
we enjoyed
your serene company
today on Animal World:
Our Co-Inhabitants.
Coming up next is
Enlightening Entertainment,
after Noteworthy News.
May Heaven’s Divine light
forever guide us
to ever more
benevolent lifestyles.