Lannan

The Lannan is a small species of desert dwelling legged lizard. They bask on rocks in the day and at night they sleep in holes in the ground.

Both sexes are characterised by lateral and dorsal strips of ocellated markings, dark patches with pale centres. Colouration varies across the species. They display sexual dimorphism- males have finer marking than females, and male adults may reach a total body length, including tail, of 15cm, while females may reach 10cm.

They have the ability to automize, meaning that they have the ability to drop their tails to escape predators by breaking one of their tail vertebrae in half. Their tail thrashes around to distract the predator while the Lannan escapes. While the tail regrows, it does not reach its original length and usually looks disfigured. They may also bite predators as a defence mechanism.

Environmental Adaptation
The Lannan is a species which goes through complete triannual physiological change, depending on the season.

In summertime, the males adopt a bright green colour for the breeding season, while females are a faded green colour. Summer is the only time when the sexual dimorphism affects the colour of the Lannan. The brightness of a males scales during summer directly correlates with his health and vigor, and so females look for the brightest male to breed with.

Between summer and winter, their scales dull to a beige, for camouflage among shrubbery and dirt.

In winter, their colour fades to a light grey. The scales on the top of their head and back raise and harden, giving them the appearance of a rock when not moving.