{"id":2279,"date":"2021-09-18T09:03:04","date_gmt":"2021-09-18T09:03:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reptilefollower.com\/?p=2279"},"modified":"2021-09-18T09:03:05","modified_gmt":"2021-09-18T09:03:05","slug":"can-lizards-swim-in-pools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reptilefollower.com\/can-lizards-swim-in-pools\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Lizards Swim In Pools?"},"content":{"rendered":"
If you have a swimming pool and a pet lizard you my be concerned, or worried that it will fall in. But can they survive if thi happens?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
Can Lizards Swim In Pools?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Yes! While pools are dangerous for lizards because it\u2019s hard for them to get out, they are quite adept at swimming. Their tails can propel them efficiently through the water, while their front limbs help to provide them with vertical control.<\/b><\/p>\n
So, now you know. But, what types of lizard can swim? Do lizards, generally speaking, like water? Should you keep your pool covered to be safe? Keep reading for these answers, and much more…<\/span><\/p>\n\n
What types of lizards can swim?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Lizard drinking water from a pool.<\/p><\/div>\n
Every lizard is equipped for a brief swim and while some are specialized for running across the water, only one lizard in the world is actually well-suited for swimming. <\/span><\/p>\n
You\u2019ll only find them on the Galapagos Islands and they are known as Marine Iguanas. <\/span>Marine Iguanas can not only swim, but they spend lots and lots of time in the ocean, as they are well-adapted for this purpose. <\/span><\/p>\n
The lizards can dive down to depths of up to 65 feet deep and while they are underwater, they can have their specialized, flattened tails for superior underwater propulsion and their large, blunt snouts for grazing on underwater algae.<\/span><\/p>\n
While they generally spend only a few minutes underwater when grazing, it is not uncommon for these lizards to stay underwater for 30-minute periods of time and they can even sneeze out excess salt from the water, as an added functionality of their nasal glands.<\/span><\/p>\n
All lizards can swim a little, but Marine Iguanas are definitely pros! <\/span>Some lizards, such as the Green Basilisk, could even run across the water in your pool to eat a tasty butterfly that happened to be hovering over it!<\/span><\/p>\n
Do lizards like water?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Aside from Marine Iguanas and lizards that can run on water, such as the Australian Frilled lizard or the South American Basilisk, it would be hard to say whether or not lizards actually like water. We can say, however, that all lizards are certainly attracted to it and when they find it, many are well-equipped to use it to its fullest.<\/span><\/p>\n
Desert lizards are a great example. Lizards like the Texas Horned lizard actually have tiny tubes in their skin which may only be viewed through powerful magnification. These tubes allow the lizards to absorb water and retain it, and this important adaption allows them to live and thrive in a desert environment.<\/span><\/p>\n
Should you cover your pool if you have a lizard?<\/span><\/h2>\n
If there is a chance that your lizard could get out and get into the pool, then covering it might be a good idea. While lizards can swim in pools, lakes, and just about any other bodies of water that they run into, there is still the matter of getting safely out of the pool is no one is nearby to help.<\/span><\/p>\n
A panicked lizard might be able to get out if there are stairs installed in the pool or a ladder that it could cling to for safety, but in most cases, with the slick, high walls of the pool a lizard is in danger of drowning before they can find an exit.<\/span><\/p>\n
What Lizard is the best swimmer?<\/span><\/h2>\n
Lizards on brown ground.<\/p><\/div>\n
If we had to pick who was the best swimmer next to the Marine Iguana, we\u2019d have to say it would be the Green Basilisk. Capable of running across the water to evade predators or to catch some tasty prey, these lizards are found in Central American, ranging in territories from southern Mexico to Panama!<\/span><\/p>\n
Their amazing water-walking ability has actually earned them some interesting nicknames and while you\u2019d think that they would need to be tiny, these guys can grow up to 3 feet in length! Before you ask, the answer is \u2018yes\u2019 \u2013 these water-walking wonders are actually kept as pets sometimes and live for about 8 \u2013 12 years in captivity.<\/span><\/p>\n