Thursday, November 7, 2013

Shed-a-thon, piecemeal division

Photos by Marty Horowitz 10/26/2013



Marty looked up the info on lizards and shedding. And cited his sources : -)

All lizards grow continuously throughout their lives. However, their skin doesn't grow to accommodate their changing size, so they must shed their skin regularly to allow for proper growth. This is called ecdysis... How often a lizard sheds depends on its age. Lizards that are younger and growing faster will shed more frequently than older lizards... Almost all lizards shed their skin in pieces (rather than in one piece like a snake). Source.
They will also tear off pieces in their mouths, and in most cases eat the skin...as the old skin does contain vitamins... Source. 

Don't try this at home!

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