If you’ve ever closely examined the feet of a lizard, you may have wondered – how many toes do lizards have? Lizards come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes, so it’s natural to be curious about how their toes can differ.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll provide a detailed look at the number of toes lizards have on their feet and how this varies between species.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: most lizards have 5 toes on each foot. However, there are exceptions, with some species having as few as 0 toes and others as many as 12 toes per foot.
In the sections below, we’ll explore the toe numbers for different lizard groups, examining how habitat and lifestyle impact the evolution of toe count. We’ll look at species with reduced numbers of toes as well as those with increased numbers.
Photos and diagrams will help illustrate the incredible diversity of lizard feet. By the end, you’ll have a thorough understanding of the range of toes found on lizards and what causes this variation.
Typical Number of Toes
Five-Toed Lizards
The majority of lizards have five toes on each foot, giving them a total of 20 toes. This five-toed anatomy allows them to easily grip branches, rocks, and other surfaces as they climb and run. Some common examples of five-toed lizard families include:
- Geckos – These popular house pets have specialized toe pads that allow them to cling to smooth surfaces. They have a total of 20 toes.
- Iguanas – Large, herbivorous lizards with strong limbs and long, sharp claws for climbing trees. They also have 20 toes.
- Monitor Lizards – This family includes the mighty Komodo dragon. Monitors are swift predators with powerful legs and toes to sprint and grasp prey.
- Skinks – A highly diverse lizard family with over 1,500 species. Most skinks have fully developed, five-toed feet.
The five-toed anatomy provides balanced distribution of weight and grip. Each toe ends with a curved claw for digging, climbing, grasping food, or defense. Having five toes on all four feet is definitely useful for the active, diverse lizard families.
Four-Toed Lizards
While less common than five toes, some lizards have only four functional toes on each foot, for a total of 16 toes. Four-toed species include:
- Glass Lizards – Legless, snake-like lizards with reduced limbs. They have four toes on their front legs and no rear legs.
- Alligator Lizards – Have four fully developed front toes but only three hind toes, so 17 toes total.
- Coleonyx Lizards – Also called swifts, these small insect-eaters of the American Southwest have four toes on all feet.
The reduction of toes and limbs allows some lizards to move swiftly on loose sand, fitting into narrow crevices. For instance, the Texas horned lizard’s wide, fringed toes allow it to run 30 mph on soft sand. Having fewer digits can be advantageous in certain environments.
However, most lizards retain five fully developed toes. This gives them balance and grip to adapt to diverse habitats. Next time you see a lizard clinging to a wall or scurrying across rocks, take a peek at its feet and chances are it will have a total of 20 wiggling toes!
Lizards With Reduced Toe Counts
Skinks
Skinks are a large and diverse group of lizards with over 1,500 described species. Many skinks have evolved a reduced number of toes and fingers compared to other lizards. For example, most skinks have only 4 toes on each foot, versus the 5 toes seen in most other lizards.
The exact reason why many skinks have lost a toe is not fully understood, but it may be related to their burrowing lifestyle. Having fewer digits to get in the way could be advantageous when tunneling underground.
Some of the most extreme cases of digit loss in lizards occur in several skink groups. Snake-eyed skinks, for instance, are aptly named for their completely limbless, serpentine bodies. The loss of limbs in these species is likely an adaptation to their burrowing habits in sand or soil.
Other nearly limb-less skinks include the weird-looking Ophiomorus skinks of Africa and Asia, which retain only vestigial flaps of skin where hindlimbs once were.
Other Limbless Lizards
Snake-eyed skinks are not the only limbless lizards. Several other lizard groups — though not technically classified as skinks — have also evolved to lose their legs over evolutionary time. These include the equally aptly-named “glass snakes” and “blind snakes” found around the world, as well as the bizarre Mexican mole lizard.
Like snake-eyed skinks, these lizards have adapted to fossorial (burrowing) lifestyles. Slithering underground is easier without limbs getting in the way, hence the snake-like bodies. While lacking legs, most of these lizards have managed to retain at least some vestiges of their ancestral shoulder and hip bones buried internally.
For example, the tiny limbless Elgaria lizards of North America still carry tiny, rudimentary femurs inside their legless bodies. Truly, lizards display an amazing range of foot diversity!
Lizards With Increased Toe Counts
Geckos
Geckos are a type of lizard well known for their specialized toe pads that allow them to climb smooth vertical surfaces and even hang upside down. Most geckos have a standard 5 toes on each foot, but some species have evolved additional toes for enhanced climbing abilities.
The tokay gecko, common in Southeast Asia, is one example. It has 5 fully developed toes on each foot plus a small “prehensile” toe for a total of 6 toes per foot. The prehensile toe provides extra grip and support when climbing.
Other gecko species like the leaf-toed gecko of Central and South America have expanded toe pads that look like leaves to camouflage them on trees and plants. Though their feet appear larger, they still only have the standard 5 toes.
Chameleons
Chameleons are another type of lizard known for their unique feet and toes. Most chameleon species have zygodactyl feet – meaning their toes are in opposed groups of two for grasping branches. The front feet have 5 toes grouped into bundles of 2 and 3, while the back feet have 4 toes in two pairs.
A few special chameleon species, however, have evolved additional toes. The panther chameleon of Madagascar has 5 fully developed toes on each back foot rather than the usual 4. And the pygmy leaf chameleon of Africa has 3 toes on each front foot rather than 2.
This gives them extra gripping power and stability in the trees.
Another interesting feature is that chameleons have syndactyl toes – their toes are fused together into pads making the feet look almost mitten-like. While they have separate underlying toe bones, the skin connects them together. This helps create a grip like tongs for holding firmly onto branches.
So most chameleons have 4-5 toes per foot fused into pads, with a few exceptions having extra developed toes for increased grasping ability.
Conclusion
As we’ve seen, lizards exhibit an amazing diversity in toe numbers, ranging from none to as many as 12 per foot. While 5 toes per foot is standard, evolution has led to specialization based on habitat and lifestyle.
Desert-dwellers often have fewer digits while arboreal lizards like geckos have more to grip branches. Hopefully this guide has shed light on how toes can adapt in these remarkable reptiles. Next time you encounter a lizard, take a peek at its feet – you may just count some extra (or missing) toes!
