Role of Lizards: A Social and Ecological Perspective

Reptiles are a group of tetrapod, cold-blooded animals found in almost all the parts of the world comprising three living orders- Crocodylia (crocodiles), Testudines R(turtles and tortoises) and Squamata (lizards and snakes).

- Ms Ankita Rajpoot

Reptiles play an important role in the ecosystem regarding food chains, bio-monitors in controlling many pests and also as excellent ecological indicators due to their high degre of sensitivity to even a minor change in the environment. Reptiles are the important constituent of the food web in most ecosystems. They fill a critical role both as predator and prey species.Lizards are a widespread reptiles group of order Squamata with approximately over 6,000 species ranging across all continents. In India reported 518 species of reptiles which includes 34 species of turtles, 3 species of crocodiles, 202 species of lizards and tortoises, and 279 species of snakes belonging to 28 families recorded till date from India. When we saw a lizard in our house or garden the first question is stuck in our mind is that Do these lizards could have any positive role in our life? So we will find out the answer to this question in this article. Moreover, people fear or dislike Lizards; they tend to be killed whenever they are seen. Lizards are often misunderstood and large numbers of poisoning cases are blamed on this innocent creature for lack of knowledge. The wall lizard found in most homes in India is not poisonous at all. They don't have any venomous apparatus and just helps in controlling the insect population. However, only two species namely, Heloderma suspectum and Heloderma horridum are poisonous (which are not found in India). The literature surveys indicated that gecko species from Hemidactylus feed on the various type of nocturnal insects and occasionally are annibalistic, eat rice grain and appreciate sugar also, at times seeds of wild plants and rarely hibiscus flower too. In many countries, the wall lizard or gecko is a welcome house guest, chasing and eating many irksome insects. They walk the walls and ceilings and live their lives unharmed by peacefully understanding their niche. A recent research reported that geckos were the best link in controlling mo