Fancy Footwork
Many lizard species have specialized feet to live in a certain environment. Check out these fabulous feet features!
Toe Fusion
Fringed Feet
Sticky Setae
Chameleons are diactyl, meaning on
each foot the five toes are fused into
a group of two and a group of three.
These fancy feet allow the chameleon to
grab tightly
onto narrow
branches.
Each toe still
has a claw.
Common basilisks are also known as the Jesus
Lizard because of their ability to run across water
surfaces for short distances. They have large hind
feet with fringes on the
toes which increases the
surface area allowing them
to “walk on water.” Other
desert lizard species use
fringed toes to run across
shifting sand.
Geckos have bristle-like structures, called
setae on the bottom of
their feet. These setae
allow the lizard to adhere
to surfaces without the
use of liquids or surface
tension. This is why
you often see geckos
climbing walls and glass.