Now that's what I call a lizard ...

[Anne 2009]

And i had a magpie that liked nothing better than following me into the shops 

[warbey]

and if your dog doesn't like someone. take note....?

[warbey]

  Some years ago we were walking along a Hotel driveway. It was dusk and there were low level lights at the side.

  The effect was similar to glass shades  (may have been) mounted onto a base.

  After a while shades and fittings would become quite hot.

  Suddenly there was a movement near my feet and a Lizard? shot past and went into one of these fittings.

  It was about a foot long and the biggest I have ever seen.

  Would they be able to stand the heat without burns?

Ive always wondered.

[Marion]

  Some years ago we were walking along a Hotel driveway. It was dusk and there were low level lights at the side.

  The effect was similar to glass shades  (may have been) mounted onto a base.

  After a while shades and fittings would become quite hot.

  Suddenly there was a movement near my feet and a Lizard? shot past and went into one of these fittings.

  It was about a foot long and the biggest I have ever seen.

  Would they be able to stand the heat without burns?

Ive always wondered.

Shouldn't this be on the "Ask Perikles" thread?   

[Janet]

They do seem able to stand temperatures you'd think were impossible, but they have long thin fingers and toes and these can burn quite easily, hence their characteristic stance with one front and one rear leg off the ground ...

[attachimg=1]

[Perikles]

  Would they be able to stand the heat without burns?

I've always wondered about heat regulation in lizards. Their skin has evolved to avoid burns, but body temperature is a problem. Being cold-blooded, they absorb heat from the environment, and the only way they can control it is to seek shade when it gets too hot. They certainly can't take too much sun without having some shade to escape to. In this respect, size really does matter. The amount of heat absorbed is roughly proportional to the surface area of the lizard, but the amount of body to be heated is proportional to its volume. That means that the bigger the lizard, the more tolerance it has to heat. The Comodo dragon, for example, can retain a body temperature around that of mammals all the time without having to avoid the sun. The smallest lizards have the biggest problem, so they spend more time in the shade. If they overheat, they can compensate by becoming hyperactive.

You are far more likely to see a lizard basking in the sun in the morning than in the afternoon, when they go off for a siesta. 

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

That answer is worthy of "Ask Perikles".