3/19/25, 10:12 PM Lizard, Iguana or Gecko?
Iguana or Gecko? - Free Online Reading Comprehension Worksheet and Questions for 4th Grade and up
Lizard, Iguana or Gecko?
There are more than 5,000 kinds of lizards. Geckos and iguanas are some of those. If
you call an iguana or a gecko a lizard, you are not wrong. They are all reptiles with scaly
skin. What makes iguanas and geckos different?
Where They Live
Iguanas are tropical lizards. They are found in Mexico, Central and South America, the
Caribbean Islands and Florida - all warm climates near water. Geckos and other lizards
can be found in every region on earth except the Arctic and Antarctic.
Size
Lizards come in all sizes and colors, from a tiny spotted gecko to the large Komodo
dragon that can grow to 10 feet long. Geckos are small, only 4 to 6 inches. Iguanas are
bigger, sometimes up to 5 feet long.
What They Eat
Lizards eat plants and some small animals such as insects, worms, spiders and snails.
Very large lizards also eat birds, rats and rabbits. Iguanas only eat plants. They love
leafy greens. Geckos eat insects, catching them with their long sticky tongues.
Special Features of Geckos
Geckos are some of the only lizards that make sounds, a chirping noise that they use to
communicate with other geckos. They have better eyesight than other lizards and see
well at night. Pads on their toes make climbing walls very easy.
Special Features of Iguanas
An iguana has a "third eye" on the top of its head that looks like part of its scaly skin.
This "eye" sees light and motion, a help to avoid danger. Most iguanas live in trees.
They can drop from a very high branch, hit the ground and survive.
It can sometimes be tricky to tell them apart. Just remember this: Geckos are small,
iguanas are tropical and they are all lizards!
Source: worksheetsplus.com/Reading/LizardIguanaGecko.html Lizard, Iguana or Gecko?
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3/19/25, 10:12 PM Lizard, Iguana or Gecko? - Free Online Reading Comprehension Worksheet and Questions for 4th Grade and up
Name: ________________________
Lizard, Iguana or Gecko?
Check the right answer.
1. How many kinds of lizards are there?
less than 500 about 500 more than 5,000
2. What do geckos eat?
plants insects worms
3. What do iguanas eat?
plants insects worms
4. Some lizards live in the Antarctic.
True False The story doesn't say.
5. The Komodo dragon is a
dinosaur lizard gecko
6. All lizards are iguanas.
True False The story doesn't say.
7. All geckos are lizards.
True False The story doesn't say.
8. Iguanas are bigger than geckos.
True False The story doesn't say.
9. A 4-inch lizard is crawling up a rock wall in Virginia. It is most likely
an iguana a gecko Hard to tell
10. A green lizard is hanging from a palm tree in Florida. It is most likely
an iguana a gecko Hard to tell
11. A lizard in Mexico is munching on leafy greens. It is most likely
an iguana a gecko Hard to tell
12. How do iguanas use their "third eye"?
to see colors to sense motion to hear sounds
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3/19/25, 10:12 PM Lizard, Iguana or Gecko? - Free Online Reading Comprehension Worksheet and Questions for 4th Grade and up
Answers
1. How many kinds of lizards are there?
more than 5,000
2. What do geckos eat?
insects
3. What do iguanas eat?
plants
4. Some lizards live in the Antarctic.
False
5. The Komodo dragon is a
lizard
6. All lizards are iguanas.
False
7. All geckos are lizards.
True
8. Iguanas are bigger than geckos.
True
9. A 4-inch lizard is crawling up a rock wall in Virginia. It is most likely
a gecko
10. A green lizard is hanging from a palm tree in Florida. It is most likely
an iguana
11. A lizard in Mexico is munching on leafy greens. It is most likely
an iguana
12. How do iguanas use their "third eye"?
to sense motion
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