Most living lizards are inhabitants of warm climates, though some extend rather far north in the temperate zone. With the exception of New Zealand, and the polar and subpolar regions, lizards are found in all parts of the world. The great majority live only in high and dry places, though some are denizens of low and marshy places, a few even not being averse to the water. They are, for the most part, spry in their movements, some little ones scarcely six inches in length taxing a vigorous man’s speed to capture; and many are expert climbers of cliffs, trees, and even the ceilings of residences. Some, the remarkable little flying dragons of Ceylon, have an extraordinary development of the skin on the sides of the body, supported by the expanded ribs, forming a sort of parachute whereby the creatures can sail considerable distances through the air. Nearly all are carnivorous, feeding upon small mammals, birds, other reptiles, frogs, and insects; a few only are herbivorous, such as the iguanas, which are often used for human food. Nearly all lizards are oviparous, laying from two to thirty eggs. In size the great majority are small, less than a foot in length; but some, such as the monitors and iguanas, reach a length of from four to six feet, or even more, and certain extinct monitors of India are known to have attained a length of thirty feet. They are, for the most part, slender, graceful, prettily marked, and quite inoffensive creatures. A few are short, flat, or stumpy in shape, such as the so-called horned toad. One or two species only, the “Gila monsters,” are reputed to be venomous. [Illustration: FIG. 66.—_Amblyrhynchus cristatus_, the Galapagos sea-lizard. (From Brehm)] There is but a single species of lizard now living which is in any true sense aquatic in habit, the well-known sea-lizard of the Galapagos Islands, scientifically known as _Amblyrhynchus cristatus_. It is a large lizard, with a short rounded head, a flat tail, and webbed feet. Its specific name is derived from the erect fringed crest along its back and tail. Its habits are best given in Darwin’s words: