#sagebrush lizard

Dunes Sagebrush Lizard (Sceloporus arenicolus), family Phrynosomatidae, found in SE NM & West TX, USA

ENDANGERED.

National Reptile Awareness Day

Every October 21 is National Reptile Awareness Day. Godzilla. Reptar. Yoshi. The Geico Gecko. Those two lizards that always hang out around your back porch. These are just a few of the famous reptiles we love. But on October 21, we celebrate all of our cold-blooded friends. This day is observed to educate and raise awareness of  threats to the natural habitats that our reptilian companions rely on to survive.

History of National Reptile Awareness Day

While the history of reptiles may go hundreds of millions of years back, National Reptile Awareness Day has an unfortunately short history in comparison. Additionally, it wasn’t really until 1966 when the first Endangered Species Act was passed that awareness of the needs and threats facing reptiles (or any animal, for that matter) started to make its way into our cultural mainstream. 

With the passing of that act, a mid-century push toward conservation started taking the forefront. Updates were passed in 1967 and 1969. Additionally, in 1967, the Environmental Defense Fund created their historical efforts to ban DDT from usage in the United States. Much of this was movement was sparked by Rachel Carson’s seminal book, Silent Spring, which documented the adverse effects pesticides and other chemicals have on the environment. 

National Reptile Awareness Day wouldn’t exist without the efforts of that movement. In fact, many reptiles wouldn’t be around today without the help of the Endangered Species Act. While National Reptile Awareness Day may have a small history compared to its subjects, its still part of a historically important movement to help protect and conserve all species of animals.

National Reptile Awareness Day timeline

315 million years ago

Prehistoric Reptiles Evolve

Reptiles are considered to have evolved from amphibians around this time. While many have perished along the way due to mass extinction, many (such as crocodiles and sea turtles) still remain

66 million years ago

The End of the Reptilian Era

The end of "The Age of Reptiles," a period of time where dinosaurs and other massive reptiles roamed around as if it were Jurassic Park. This began "The Age of Mammals," while, despite the name, reptilian species continued to diversify and thrive but at a much, much, much smaller size. 

1978

The Loggerhead is Listed

The loggerhead sea turtle, one of the more famous reptiles, is listed as endangered, mostly due to bycatch in fishing gear but also because of loss of nesting habitats. 

1987

See Ya Later, Alligator

The American alligator is officially removed from the protected species list, making a remarkable comeback from near extinction after spending twenty years on the list.

National Reptile Awareness Day FAQs

When is National Reptile Awareness Day?

National Reptile Awareness Day is every year on October 21. 

How do I celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day?

There are many ways to celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day, such as donating to a reptile conservation, visiting a national park, or learning to identify reptiles. 

Is a turtle a reptile?

The placement of turtles within the reptile kingdom has historically been up for debate, but so far they are still considered to be reptiles.  

National Reptile Awareness Day Activities

Donate to a reptile conservation programThere are a lot of different organizations that want to continue educating the public about our reptilian friends. One way they do this is by also advocating for us to have the ability to keep reptiles as pets. Donate to your favorite organization to help them continue being the voice for reptiles.

Visit a National ParkRegardless of what part of the country you live in, reptiles play a major part in your ecosystem. By visiting your nearest national park, you're helping promote a place that is dedicated to preserving the natural habitats for all animals that live in that area - including, of course, the reptiles. Some notably reptilian parks are Joshua Tree, Big Bend, and the Everglades.

Identify a reptile (or two, or three)Consumer science is an important part of helping researchers understand where our cold-blooded friends live and their population densities. Many identification apps are created by institutions to help draw in that data. If you see a lizard or other reptile, use an app to ID it. This helps scientists understand where certain populations live and how well they're adapting among us. The Audubon Reptiles & Amphibians app is a great place to start.

Why We Love National Reptile Awareness Day

Their body armor: Reptiles are known for having thick skin, literally. Their armored body is made up of scales or boney plates (yes, some have their bones on the outside) to protect them from the daily wear and tear. How cool is that?!

Lizards, turtles, and snakes, oh my!: Because some of the most awesome characters/creatures on TV, or in the films we watch, are reptiles. They are sometimes dramatized to be huge and scary, like Godzilla, and other times are hilarious, like the Geico Gecko.

They make the best pets: No backyard to have a dog? No problem! Most reptiles can be kept indoors in naturally adorned tanks. They are easily maintained and make for an educational experience for kids learning about the environment.

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National Reptile Day

Not every person can look at a boa constrictor named Barbara or a toad named Frank and think lovable thoughts. However, National Reptile Day is the perfect day for the squeamish and admirers alike to appreciate the role these creatures play in our ecosystem. We celebrate these reptiles on October 21 — where fans take the time to educate others about habitat loss, conservation programs, and the importance of keeping reptiles off the endangered list. Below we share what you can do to celebrate this holiday — even from a distance.

National Reptile Day timeline

​400 BC

The beginning of recording reptiles

​The methodological study of reptiles dates back to the time of philosophers Aristotle and Pliny.

​1852

A prehistoric discovery was made ​

​Traces of the oldest known reptile, called the Hylonomus lyelli, were discovered in a fossilized tree stump in Nova Scotia.

​1998

​Saving the Galapagos

Ecuador enacted the Galapagos Special law, to create the Galapagos Marine Reserve and protect the island wildlife (including the Galapagos Tortoise), manage fisheries, and inspect quarantine measures.

National Reptile Day Activities

Reacquaint yourself with reptiles: Spend some time holding and interacting with reptiles — perhaps at a pet shop — where snakes, frogs, or lizards are just a short car ride away.

Donate to a conservation program: Contribute to programs designated to protecting endangered species. Many reptiles are still hunted for their use in leather or to meet consumer demands. In several regions, this type of hunting is a big problem due to the role most reptiles play in their specific ecosystems.

Read about reptiles: Spend a day at the library researching and learning new things about reptiles. You may even find your future pet in the process.

​5 Quirks Only Reptiles Could Have

​The Fantastic Four​: There are four orders of species: the Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, etc.), the Tuatara (lizard-like), the Squamata, (includes lizards and snakes), and the Testudines (turtles, tortoises, and terrapins).

​Baby it's cold inside​: The majority of all reptiles are considered ectothermic, meaning they rely on their environments to regulate their internal body temperature, reproductive health, immune system functioning, and daily stamina.

​Larger than Life: One of the largest reptiles on record is the salt water crocodile, which can measure over twelve feet long and weigh more than a thousand pounds.

​Circle of life: ​All reptiles play an important function in their ecosystem; for example, lizards control insects and pests in homes and gardens, while snakes keep rodents under control in urban life and in the countryside.

Survival! The way reptiles adapt to their environments allows them to create defensive behaviors in fights, to reproduce, hunt for their food, or anticipate a dangerous situation.

Why We Love National Reptile Day

A time to love our pets: Reptile owners get a special day to appreciate their best friends every year with this holiday. This day allows us to treat our buddies and give some never-ending love and care!

A day to relax with some reps: For those of us who don’t own a reptile, but are curious, this holiday allows us to take time to observe them in their natural element. For those who are very nervous or scared of anything slithery, this is the perfect day to face those fears.

We expand our knowledge: Taking the time to learn about these different species allows us to appreciate the environment we both share. This day is perfect to teach children about animals and nature.

Lizard ID - UT, USA:

World Lizard Day 

World Lizard Day is celebrated on August 14 every year. The day may not be a well-known one, but it’s still celebrated on local levels with schools, parks, and reptile enthusiasts being the main groups celebrating the occasion. Educational and fun events remain a staple of the holiday. Reptile enthusiasts use the internet to spread information about their love for the scaly critters. The day hasn’t been adopted by higher-level conservation organizations like the World Wildlife Fund (W.W.F.). Instead, it is mainly focused on awareness about reptiles as pets.

History of World Lizard Day

Like many odd holidays, the origins of World Lizard Day are unclear. Don’t let its murky beginnings dissuade you from celebrating this wholesome day though. The species is dying out worldwide due to ignorance and lack of attention. The day may be about lizards, but we can’t pass up on the opportunity to tell you more about reptiles in general. It’s the spirit of the day after all!

All reptiles are air-breathing vertebrates covered in scales, plates of bone, or a combination of both. Species of this family include snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and tortoises. All of these shed their skin and depend on the environment to regulate their body temperatures. This dependence on outside factors when it comes to regulating their core body temperatures means that reptiles have to find sun and shade in order to warm up or cool down. In areas that have colder winters, reptiles generally experience a period of inactivity until the weather grows warmer again.

Lizards are no different, which is why you see them sunning themselves in your warm garden or on the bricks that soak up the sun throughout the day. For pet lizards, staying warm or cool is a different matter entirely. People who own lizards as pets need to heat their tanks with heating lamps or pads without overheating the space. In fact, preparing and maintaining a tank for a lizard or any reptile requires a great deal of initial and continuous effort. Each subspecies of reptile has specific needs and preferences. It’s recommended that aspiring and even current reptile owners do research on exactly what their pet needs to be happy and healthy. Doing research before you buy or adopt a pet lizard will help you to figure out what kind of lizard would suit you and your budget constraints. This before you buy stage is crucial in ensuring that you make the right choice when it comes to being a pet owner.

World Lizard Day timeline

312 Million Years Ago The First Reptiles

The first proto-reptiles evolve during the Carboniferous period.

13th Century Frogs and Reptiles

The first classification system groups amphibians and reptiles together with worms.

19th Century Reptiles in a Class of Their Own

Reptiles are recognized as a completely separate category from amphibians.

21st Century Skin Trade

The lucrative trading of reptile skin results in reptile farms becoming rampant, forcing conservation efforts and heavy policing of these farms.

World Lizard Day FAQs

Why do we celebrate World Lizard Day?

The day is an opportunity for reptile enthusiasts to celebrate their fascination and share it with others.

What’s a good lizard for beginner reptile owners?

Bearded dragons and leopard geckos are two of the most popular beginner-friendly lizards to own. A bearded dragon is known to be one of the most outgoing and friendly lizards.

What do lizards eat during the day?

Lizards may not drink much water throughout the day. They have a varied diet that provides them with nutrients. This includes grass and leafy plants, small insects like crickets and beetles, and berries and seeds.

World Lizard Day Activities

Visit your local reptile park

Donate to conservation efforts

Get a pet lizard

If you want to celebrate the day but don’t have any reptiles of your own then why not support the local reptile park or farm. There will definitely be a fun and educational event being held, and you’d be supporting a local business.

N.G.O.s and organizations like the W.W.F. are doing crucial work when it comes to rescuing and conserving animals and habitats of the world. If you’d rather see your money work on a small scale then why not inquire if your local shelter or park has any reptiles you can sponsor.

We don’t suggest this lightly but if you’re reading this then you must love lizards! Why not start researching what it’s like to own one, so you can see if it’s something for you.

5 Facts About Reptiles That You’ll Think Are Awesome

They used to be amphibious

Most reptiles are carnivorous

They’re not that smart

Temperature determines sex

Extinction crisis

Reptiles actually evolved from amphibians.

Only iguanas and turtles subsist on a plant-based diet.

Reptiles have about one-tenth of the intelligence you’d find in animals like rats, cats, and hedgehogs.

The sex of reptiles is determined by the temperature of the environment outside the egg as the creature grows.

Nearly one-fifth of all known reptile species are considered endangered or dangerously close to extinction.

Why We Love World Lizard Day

Reptiles need some love

They’re great pets

It’s fun

Of all the animals, reptiles are the ones that need some extra love and attention after all the years they’ve been misunderstood. Most people still view them as dangerous and cold creatures when that isn’t the case.

Reptiles make for excellent pets and here are some reasons why: they don’t need training or regular exercise, they’re quiet, and are very low-maintenance. Most importantly, they’re interesting creatures.

Having an excuse to visit the reptile park or spend extra time with your own pet reptile is always a good thing. World Lizard Day is a fun day with no pressure, and we really love it for that.

Mesa Verde National Park (No. 25)

Mesa Verde National Park, established in 1906, features some of the most well-preserved Ancestral Puebloan sites in the Southwest. More than 22,000 people may have lived on and around Mesa Verde at the beginning of the 1200s. But by the beginning of the 1300s, the area was depopulated, likely as a result of a prolonged drought or other social pressures. The inhabitants largely resettled in Arizona and the Rio Grande Valley of New Mexico, where their descendants live today as the Pueblo and Hopi people. (The park’s former inhabitants were once called the Anasazi, though the term – which is commonly cited as meaning “ancient enemy” in the Diné language – is considered derogatory by Pueblo people and has fallen out of use).

Mesa Verde’s crown jewels are its cliff dwellings, sprawling structures built in alcoves beneath the mesa tops, with likely uses including habitation, food storage, ceremony and ritual. More than 600 cliff dwellings are scattered throughout the park, though they represent just a fraction of the more than 5,000 known archeological sites within park boundaries.

Amid this archaeological treasure trove, Sun Temple stands out.

World Wildlife Day

The World is full of amazing creatures from every possible medium. From the birds of the air to the majestic whales of the sea, wildlife abounds in the most unusual and unexpected places. Wildlife benefits us in many ways and has since timed out of mind. World Wildlife Day is a day to remind us of our responsibilities to our world and the lifeforms we share it with.

Even though we might like to think so sometimes, humans aren’t the only living things on Earth. In fact, we’re far outnumbered by other living things, from animals and plants to fungi and bacteria. Wildlife isn’t just something that we passively observe; it’s part of our world, and something we need to care for. World Wildlife Day is your chance to celebrate all wildlife, from the smallest insect to blue whales. No matter what you love about wildlife, you can spend the day taking action to help protect it.

This day is all about raising awareness of wild flora and fauna across the world. Whether you love animals, you’re passionate about plants, or you’re concerned about climate change, it’s the day that you can use to educate yourself or others. You can celebrate the incredible biodiversity across the world and perhaps get out there to explore the huge range of flora and fauna the world has to offer. Celebrating World Wildlife Day is a must for anyone who loves our planet.

History of World Wildlife Day

On March 3rd, 1973 the United Nations General Assembly took a stand to protect Endangered Species throughout the world. Whether plant or animal, the importance of these species in every area of human life, from culinary to medical, could not be understated. At this time hundreds of endangered species were being threatened every year, and extinction was at a staggeringly high rate. CITES was put into place (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) to ensure that the world did not continue to hemorrhage species that would never be seen from again.

On December 20th, 2013 another step was taken to help spread awareness of the fragility of endangered species in the world. At its 68th session, the UN declared that each year World Wildlife Day would be dedicated to a new purpose and idea to help keep people abreast of the changing nature of our world, and the treasures we stand to lose from the animal and plant kingdom if we don’t take care.

Sometimes the day highlights an endangered animal or group of animals, while in other years, it has focused on a specific issue affecting the world of wildlife. Previous themes have included getting serious about wildlife crime and listening to young voices. World Wildlife Day is implemented by the CITES Secretariat, working together with relevant UN organizations. The day might not have been around for long compared to some others, but it’s already made a big impact. If you are passionate about the Earth and everything on it, celebrating is a must.

World Wildlife Day Timeline

1900 First wildlife conservation act is passed in the US

The Lacey Game and Wild Birds Preservation and Disposition Act is passed by Congress, which is the first legislation of its kind in the United States.

1948 International Union for Conservation of Nature begins

This is the first effort toward conservation that is supported by governments and societal organizations globally and its purpose is to encourage cooperation and the sharing of resources regarding conservation.

1961 World Wildlife Federation is established

A group of individuals who are passionate about protecting endangered species and places bands together to secure funding to this end.

1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Negotiated in Washington DC, CITES is an international agreement between governments to protect the survival of various wild species by ensuring that trade does not threaten them. The signing takes place on March 3.

2013 First World Wildlife Day is celebrated

At its 68th session, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declares March 3 as the day to raise awareness and and celebrate the wild animals all over the world.

How to Celebrate World Wildlife Day

You can celebrate World Wildlife Day on your own or with others, whether you just want to spend some time contemplating the majesty of nature or you want to spread the word about just how amazing the world’s wildlife is and how we can protect it.

The first thing that always comes to mind when we think about World Wildlife Day is heading out to our local zoo or botanical conservatory and reminding ourselves of the vast variety of life our world offers. If you have children, this can be one of the best ways to really introduce them to the wonders of the animal and plant kingdom. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, an outdoor excursion with a book of local flora and fauna (That’s plants and animals) can help make that connection come even closer to home.

You could also spend the day spreading the word about the importance of our wildlife. If you love our planet, what better way to celebrate everything on it than to encourage other people to care about it too? You might create an event, get people to sponsor you or create some education materials. Choose a cause that matters to you, whether it is a local one or an international wildlife issue that you want to highlight.

Another way you can get involved is finding out what this year’s theme is by stopping by www.wildlifeday.org and finding ways to get involved. The website has a map of events that you can search to discover things to do near you, or you could add your own event to encourage others to get involved too. You can find a range of useful materials on the site too, including posters, logos, a social media kit, and a special action card that you can use to take photos. You can find suggestions for World Wildlife Day hashtags to use on social media or any materials that you create for your event too. Some of their suggestions for getting involved include running a competition, engaging with influencers, celebrities and politicians, and showing your appreciation for those who help to conserve wildlife every day.

There are few things as important as making sure that the world’s biosphere remains healthy, every time we lose a plant or animal, we have no way of knowing if a cure for a disease or some new medical breakthrough was lost with them. World Wildlife Day is your opportunity to do your part in preserving our world.

World Wildlife Day FAQs

Who started World Wildlife Day?

World Wildlife Day was started by the United Nations General Assembly which is the main policy-making sector of the assembly. Over the years it has become the most important annual event dedicated to the preservation of wildlife.

What is World Wildlife Day?

World Wildlife Day offers a simple opportunity to consider the animals and plants that humans share the planet with and to take action to help them in a variety of ways.

How to get involved with World Wildlife Day?

Taking part in World Wildlife day can be simple or more involved. The best ways to stay connected are to learn more, share the need with friends and family members, get to know threats to your local area, and host an awareness day at the office or at school.

Why do we celebrate World Wildlife Day?

The purpose of the celebration of World Wildlife Day is to raise awareness for the plight of and care for wild species that may be at risk and need to be protected.

When did World Wildlife Day start?

Although attention to wildlife has been active for more than 70 years, World Wildlife Day is a fairly modern celebration, officially started by the UN in 2013.