Flashback Lizard

The Flashback lizard is a timid creature that is similar in it's behaviour to the Earth Frilled Lizard. Conceived and sprited by SSB--with some shading edits by Ignite on the adults. It was released July 12th, 2011. It can be found in the Deserts of Zeima.

Breed ID: Lizard

Old Sprites
(Regular above, polytype below.)

Alpha: You can hardly see this egg when it's in the sand

Beta: This timid lizard has some small spines on it's back.

Delta: Male: This timid lizard has some bright spines on his back. When startled, he hisses at you.

Delta: Female: This timid lizard has some colorful spines on her back.

Omega: The Flashback Lizard is a frail little creature, subsisting off insects and spending most of their time out of the heat of the day. However, they are plagued by other predators, such as falcons and snakes, for which they have a unique defense--their colorful spines which give them their name. The bright colors are all but invisible on an adult when the spines are lowered, but when raised they catch a predator off guard, giving the lizard the split second it needs to dash away into the brush and take cover. While the females are pale bodied all around--save, of course, their spines--the males have a red belly which they show off to females. When males compete for mate, they flare their spines, feint at, and hiss at each other until one concedes defeat.

Additional Information
The Flashback Lizard is a primarily insectivorous creature which makes dry, arid climates it's home. They are primarily diurnal, though depending on the local climate they may spend the hottest part of the day hiden away to avoid the heat. They have no spikes, fangs, or horns to defend themselves, and when branching outside their species leave the fight out of "fight or flight." Capable of running very quickly on their hind legs, taking cover in the form of tall grass, rocks, and on occassion they may dive head-first into the sand, though it is rare. Unlike Earth lizards, they cannot drop their tail in the case of an emergency--fortunate, in a way, as they would be unable to run on their hind legs without it. While they are born only a few inches in length, they grow to 18 inches by adulthood and, if properly fed, can reach up to three feet from nose to tail.

The Flashback Lizard gets its name from the colorful spines upon its back. The spines can be raised or lowered very quickly, and when lowered on an adult the colorful skin within is nearly invisible. Flashbacks are born without the skin, as the spines do not bend well until they have matured, and thus the color would only be a giveaway. The most dangerous time in a Flashbacks life is right as the skin grows in--by this time the spines can bend, but they may not hide the color as well as an adult. The spines do serve a purpose, however--when startled or targeted by a predator, the lizard quickly turns and hisses at the offender, flaring its spines. The bright colors, agression and sudden increase in apparant size startles the predator and gives the Flashback the split second it needs to bolt to cover.

When it comes to their young, the Flashbacks are indeed reptilian. The mother will lay her eggs in a secluded area--under a rock or bush--and on occasion bury them in the sand. They are always placed out of direct sunlight, as the local climate would overheat the egg and kill the embryos inside.

While both genders develop black stripes, only the male Flashback has a bright red belly, which is used to impress the females. When courting a male will lift his head up to show off his bright belly and flare his spines--An under-fed lizard will have duller colors of both frill and stomach, and the female will refuse if she finds them wanting. If two males compete over the same female they will hiss and feint at one another, flaring their spines in an attempt to intimidate the other. On occasion one may tackle the other, but true fighting never ensues--the victor is determined when one lizard runs away.

Living in the Nyokan system, Flashback lizards do not recognize humans as predators. However, the species is inherently cautious and will often act defensively around anything bigger than them. However, they are easily imprintable and can be trained to perform small tasks or tricks, provided they are consistantly reinforced with food. Similarly, if fed by hand, they can be quite docile and calm around their human keeper, seeing him or her as a source of food and possibly protector--though this may not apply with other humans.

The Flashback Lizards are among the creatures known to exhibit polytyping, the presence of a recessive gene altering coloration or other physical attributes on very rare occassions. The coloration of the Flashback Polytype is most notable because the body scales mirror that of the Desert Flashback's cousin, the Jungle Flashback.