The Five Classes of Lizards
Before we get into specific species, it is helpful to understand how we classify lizards and the general types of lizards included within each. Within the Squamata order of reptiles is the Lacertilia suborder, which contains all known lizard species. We can further break this suborder down into five main groups, or infraorders. These five infraorders loosely categorize all types of lizards based on traits like their body plans, how they’ve evolved over time, and other physical characteristics they may share. The main five groups of lizards are: Of course, we could break these groups down even further, but that would make things a bit tedious and confusing for the purposes of an overview article like this. Now, without further ado, let’s take a look at a few unique species within each group!
Different Types of Lizards
Anguimorphs: Legless Lizards, Varanids, and More
The Anguimorphs are a bizarre bunch of reptiles, as they range from the unassuming, legless slow worms to massive, fearsome monitor lizards! Strangely, many of the lizards within Anguimorpha don’t even look like lizards at all. Species like glass lizards more closely resemble snakes at a glance, while many monitor lizards look like dinosaurs straight out of Jurassic Park! Here are a few species you should know about within the Anguimorpha infraorder:
Gekkota: Geckos, Geckos, and More Geckos!
Geckos are perhaps some of the cutest and most vibrant lizards within all five groups. Most species are small, fast, and skilled at climbing. They are most commonly found in warm, humid, densely forested areas near the equator, though a wide range of species live all over the world! Here are three awesome types of lizards from this group that you should know:
Iguania: Iguanas, Chameleons, Dragon Lizards
Iguania is another diverse group that includes all manner of iguanas, chameleons, agamid lizards, and anoles. Most iguanid lizards prefer warm, humid, equatorial climates, but many have migrated either on their own or with the help of humans to places like the Americas and Europe. It’s a bit tough to narrow this group down to only three notable species, but here are the most interesting types of iguanid lizards we think you should know about:
Lacertoidea: “True” Lizards, Tegus, Worm Lizards, Etc.
Up next, we have the fourth main group of lizards, the Lacertoideans! Most notably, this infraorder contains wall lizards, tegus, whiptails, and worm lizards, among many others. Originally, researchers grouped these lizards in with skinks, but they’ve since placed the Lacertoideans into their own distinct group. Here are three types of lizards within the Lacertoidea group you should know about:
Scincomorpha: Skinks
Finally, we come to our fifth and final main group of lizards, Scincomorpha. This group, as you may have guessed by now, mostly consists of skinks and a few related families, such as plated, night, and girdled lizards. These lizards are usually small-to-medium-sized with triangular heads, small, weak legs, and wide, robust bodies. Here are three fascinating types of lizards within this group you should know:
