1218 1203. Chameleon's Brother Is Here (4/5)

Chapter 1218 1203. Chameleon's brother is here (45)

New Zealand, an isolated island country, often has unique creatures on the magical land that are not found in other countries and regions.

Now, all countries like to label some of their species as living fossils, such as the giant panda, a national treasure of China, the sixgill shark in Australia, and the metasequoia in the United States.

In this case, New Zealand cannot be left behind, they also have living fossils, that is the alligator lizard.

Alligator lizard is one of the most endangered protected species in New Zealand. Its English name is Tuatara, which comes from the Maori language, which means "mountain on its back". It's called the Wedge-toothed Lizard, but New Zealanders like to call it the New Zealand Alligator Lizard.

This kind of name is not only simple and down-to-earth, but also can reflect its attribution at a glance.

The New Zealand crocodile lizard is a unique species of New Zealand. It has not evolved much from the Triassic to the present. It belongs to a relatively primitive lizard and is also a reptile like a living fossil.

On the earth today, New Zealand alligator lizards have no relatives, but 200 million years ago, they had many relatives and friends, but it is a pity that they are the only ones that can survive to the present.

Wang Bo only saw this kind of creature in the TV introduction, but hadn't seen it in reality yet. When he received a call from Professor Sandra, he hurried over.

The branch campus of Lincoln University is under intense preparation. Now many buildings are laying foundations, and the experimental area is mainly for farming crops, so there are no high-rise buildings and no foundations are needed. This is the first to be built.

The so-called experimental area is a fenced grass field, and there are color steel tile houses and board houses one by one, which are still very simple.

On the way to drive, Wang Bo thought of an academic heart that he had drawn before. This heart has never been used. He doesn't know how to use it. Now there is a school in the town. Is it used for the school?

Thinking of this, he opened the sand table to find the location of Lincoln University, and put his academic heart on it.

As a result, this light green crystal heart that cannot be used in other places was integrated into it at once.

This heart was prepared for school, but Wang Bo hadn't thought about elementary and middle schools before, so it was useless, and it was a mistake.

When he arrived at the experimental area, the area was closed and blocked by an electric iron fence door. The security guard came out to check his identity before opening the door to let him in.

Professor Sandra was waiting for him in front of a 200-square-meter large color steel tile house, and waved when he saw him.

When Wang Bo entered the house, he saw that many parts of the color-steel tiled house had been rebuilt to resemble an island reef. There were many reefs scattered on the ground, and some crocodile lizards were crawling.

The appearance of these crocodile lizards is similar to that of ordinary lizards, but their mouths are relatively long, and their heads look a bit like crocodiles, which is obviously the source of their name.

Alligator lizards on the reef have different body colors, such as gray, brown, green, etc., and their body sizes are also different. The large ones can be 80 cm from the head to the tip of the tail.

However, compared to the majestic umbrella lizards in the farm, they are still relatively small, and even the large ones are estimated to weigh no more than 1 kg.

Seeing Wang Bo, these crocodile lizards immediately became vigilant, and then they ran to the nearby crevices of the reef to hide. Some of them couldn't find a place to hide, and stood there with their heads held high like a broken can.

But slowly, something interesting happened. The skin color of these crocodile lizards changed, becoming more and more similar to the surrounding rocks, and one was very similar to the kelp around it, turning greenish brown.

Seeing this, Wang Bo was surprised and said, "Do they still change color?"

Professor Sandra smiled and said: "So, many people in the outside world think that chameleons are their brothers. They can also match their own colors according to the environment, but the speed of change is far behind chameleons."

Looking at these little guys with great interest, Wang Bo asked: "Did you call me here?"

Professor Sandra cheered up, and said: "It's like this, these crocodile lizards come from Tang Puxun Island, and there is a rat plague on that island, which seriously threatens the lives of these poor little guys, so we need to find another place for them. Home."

Alligator lizards currently live on many islands in New Zealand, because they are far away from humans and natural enemies. However, because some of the habitats of New Zealand alligator lizards have been invaded by rodents-mainly rats, their survival is worrying.

Since the end of the 19th century, they have been included in the New Zealand government's list of protected animals, which shows how precious they are. At that time, many countries were not even protected by law.

Wang Bo laughed and said, "Are they still afraid of mice? Their names are alligators."

Speaking of which, the crocodile lizard is really not a good person, when it bullies something smaller than itself, it is called a capable person.

The food of alligator lizards includes young birds, bird eggs, beetles, crickets, spiders, frogs, and even the young of the same kind, so many small alligator lizards dare not appear next to adult individuals when they are young, but hide quietly Rock crevices or shelters to avoid being eaten by other alligator lizards.

But if you encounter an opponent who is bigger or more ferocious than yourself, you will be blinded. Mice move too fast, their teeth are too sharp, and they often like to go out in groups. When they meet alligator lizards, they will join them for luxurious lunch and dinner.

Professor Sandra introduced him, and then said: "Many of the crocodile lizards are old guys. They can't even escape from mice, so they have to be protected."

Wang Bo asked: "I saw on TV that crocodile lizards have a longer lifespan, right?"

Professor Sandra nodded and said: "Yes, it takes about 20 years for them to reach maturity, which is later than humans."

"In addition, they can keep growing before they are 40 years old. Their average lifespan is at least 60 years old, and in this group, according to our research, at least five live to more than 100 years old."

"Such an old age?" Wang Bo exclaimed.

Professor Sandra nodded: "Yes, this is actually not uncommon. If it is not disturbed by natural enemies and food shortages in a captive environment, alligator lizards may live to be 200 years old."

Adult New Zealand alligator lizards molt at least once a year, and like other cold-blooded animals, alligator lizards grow a little bit each time they molt.

Professor Sandra told Wang Bo that it is a pity that the growth genes of alligator lizards are restricted, otherwise they could grow into Godzillas.

Of course, if they could really grow so big, they wouldn’t be able to live until now. Alligator lizards can survive until now, which is inseparable from their small appetite.

Wang Bo heard the meaning behind his words and said with a smile: "I don't care how much they can eat, but I don't know where in Sunset Town is suitable for raising them."