But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids How do lizards grow their tails back?
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Apr 17, 2026 Adam Clause, collections manager of herpetology at the San Diego Natural History Museum, curates and studies preserved reptiles and amphibians. He tours the museum vault, explains how lizards climb walls using tiny toe hairs, why some lick their eyes, how they regulate body temperature, and how tail autotomy and regrowth works.
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Museum Specimens Are A Scientific Library
- Adam Clause compares the specimen collection to a library of preserved animals used for research and long-term study.
- He explains jars reveal diets, parasites, and historical changes across decades, with some specimens over 150 years old.
Scales Keep Lizards From Drying Out
- Scales act like fingernails providing a waterproof barrier that prevents water loss from lizard bodies.
- This adaptation enables lizards to inhabit hot, dry environments like deserts with less competition.
Cold Blooded Is A Misleading Label
- Lizards are not truly cold-blooded; their body temperature varies with the environment rather than staying fixed like mammals.
- That variability means some lizards can have blood warmer than humans, so "cold-blooded" is an oversimplification.