Greenville South Carolina pet store

After visiting a Greenville South Carolina pet store I have a renewed respect and love for lizards. Lizards come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, colors, temperaments, and habits. They range in size from 1" (3cm), like the tiny gekkonids to 11 feet (3.5m) or more in the Komodo dragon, the largest lizard. Generally speaking small lizards can live 3 to 5 years while large lizards can live upwards of 20 years. All lizards have two lungs, unlike some snakes that have only one lung, and amphibians that breathe through their skins as well as through lungs. Their skin structure, a thick horny layer, provides them protection from heat, dryness and sunlight. They will molt or shed their skin generally in patches on an ongoing basis, though occasionally some will shed their whole skin at one time. Lizards thermoregulate their body temperature by following the sun. As "sun seekers", they seek out warmth for hunting and digesting and choose cool hiding places when they are too hot. Safe handling is knowing how to grab a lizard. Small lizards up to about 7 3/4" (20cm). Grasp by placing your hand over the body and restraining the neck area with your thumb and forefinger. Medium lizards up to about 19 1/2" (50cm). Grasp with one hand on the section of the lizard where you can straddle across its back at the front legs. Use your other hand to take hold of the hips. Large lizards over 19 1/2" (50cm). Grab firmly around the neck with one hand and around the waist with the other and pull it into your body under your elbow to restrain the legs and tail. Two people may be necessary for large lizards. They can inflict deep bites and deep scratches with their claws! Always wash your hands before and after handling!