Something for a Seven-Year-Old
Out in the desert, you might see a lizard on a rock doing tiny push-ups. It looks funny, but for lizards it is very serious.
One reason is to warn other lizards: “This is my spot—stay away!” The push-ups are like flexing muscles, showing strength without actually fighting. If another male sees it, he knows the rock is already claimed.
Another reason is to attract attention. When a female lizard comes around, the male does even more push-ups, faster and stronger. Sometimes he flashes bright colors on his throat or belly while he moves. It is his way of saying, “Look how tough and healthy I am. Don’t you want to pick me?”
And there is a bonus reason: on cool desert mornings, push-ups help a lizard wake up and get his blood moving, almost like warm-up exercises before the day begins.
So those little desert push-ups are not just exercise. They are lizard language—part warning, part love song, and part morning workout.