Defense
Reptiles need to defend themselves against enemies, especially predators (animals that want to make a meal of them). They have many different ways of doing this: They race away, hide, blend into the background, puff up their bodies, and even play dead.
Eastern Hognose Snake playing dead. © Karl H. Switak
Eastern Hognose Snake © James H. Robinson
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Playing Dead
Among North American snakes, the Eastern Hognose has the most impressive defense behavior. When threatened, it flattens its head and neck like a cobra and hisses loudly. It may strike but rarely bites. If all this fails, the snake rolls over, writhes as if in pain, opens its mouth, sticks out its tongue, and plays dead. It is a real actor; you can pick it up and it will remain limp, but when you set it down, it will flop over onto its back again.
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Lizard Tricks
Some kinds of lizards have tails that will break off when grabbed by an attacker. (They later grow back.) The lizard escapes, while the attacker is left with just the tail. Spiny lizards have sharp spines that discourage predators, and skinks have smooth overlapping scales that make them hard to hold onto.
Horned lizards have special muscles that can burst tiny blood vessels at the edges of the eyes. They can squirt a stream of blood as far as 3 feet at an attacker.
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Green Anole with tail snapped off. © James H. Robinson
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This Short-horned Lizard puffs up its body so it looks bigger than it is. © David M. Dennis
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Horned Lizard after squirting blood from eyes. © Karl H. Switak
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Ringneck Snake © Allen Blake Sheldon
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Snake Coils
Western subspecies of the Ringneck Snake, such as the Prairie Ringneck, will coil the tail and display the red warning color underneath at the first sign of danger. If picked up, these snakes will secrete a foul-smelling musk.
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Camouflage Clothing
Many lizards and snakes depend on camouflage (blending in with the background) to keep them safe from attackers. Fence lizards, for example, look like the bark of trees, especially when they remain perfectly still. Many desert reptiles are the color of sand. Anoles can change their skin color.
The Granite Night Lizard blends in with its rocky background. © Karl H. Switak
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The Mojave Fringe-toed Lizard buries itself in sand when it senses danger. © Dan Suzio
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Texas Tortoise tucked into its protective shell. © Michael H. Francis
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Suits of Armor
Some reptiles, such as alligators, are protected by their tough skins. Turtles and tortoises carry their defense system around with them—their shells. Box turtles have hinges in the bottom shell that enable them to pull it tightly against the top shell to completely protect their head and limbs from a fox or a raccoon. Some turtles, such as snapping, mud, and musk turtles, are colored to blend in with their habitat.
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Copycats
Some harmless snakes have colors and patterns that are similar to those of venomous species. Any predator that fears the deadly Eastern Coral Snake is unlikely to attack the Scarlet Kingsnake, which is not venomous but looks quite similar to the coral snake.
American Alligator © Stephen G. Maka
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Tough Skins
With their powerful jaws, sharp teeth, and thick hides, adult alligators and crocodiles have little to fear from predators, except humans. Female alligators protect their young from fish, birds, and other predators for months or even years.
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