Leaping burnties are descendants of the burnt brick lizard. There are many species of leaping burntie, all with the common trait of being able to jump forward considerably high and far (for a lizard) in a single hop, as a means of escaping sudden ambush by a predator. While they can leap several times their own body length, their landings are not particularly graceful. They are usually insectivores, but some are also scavengers or predators to smaller lizards. Most leaping burnties live in semi-arid rocky places where they hunt basking insects and seek refuge atop high rocks from exposure to predators. Some live near by water, leaping into the water when spooked, and are decent swimmers.

The South Cardiva Islands make up part of a volcanic arc, and are an area of active land growth. The hotter, drier uppermost South Cardiva islands just below mainland Cardiva are conjoined into larger landmasses like a miniature continent, the consequence of a past period of extreme volcanic activity millions of years before the seeding of Earth life that formed great flats of new land. Here deserts prevail, and lusher habitat, even grassland is comparatively rare. Coastal climate habitats are the greenest areas of these large islands, while inland is at it's worst barren and arid.

Three lizards in a grassland: Purselip lizards are omnivores, starting their lives on invertebrates but eating increasingly more plant matter throughout life. Their name highlights a common characteristic of the tip of the upper jaw up folding over the lower one. This allows them to pull on vegetation to pluck it, using the rim of their upper lip as leverage, instead of it's small sharp peg-like teeth ripping right through it. Shown above in beige, this individual feels threatened by the unfamiliar stranger strolling by, and is pushing all of it's weight off the ground to look bigger, as well as showing it's gaping mouth as a threatening defence.

Ash Lurkers are a wide group of lizards that don't always necessarily live in ashy environments but most often do, and always employ some form of ambush hunting. This dark grey ash lurker is not interested in the purselip lizard. As prey, this big old purselip is just a bit too large and heavy to subdue, and there is no advantage of stealth for the ash lurker in this scenario. It's hardly bothered at all by the purselip lizard's display.

Half-emerged from a burrow under a rock, beneath a fallen date palm leaf is a rake-foot lizard. The toes on it's forelimbs are stiffer than those of other lizards and slightly curved, as well as sheathed in a durable claw that envelops the tips of the toes. The forelimbs are short but strong for digging. They spend a considerable amount of time underground, but are occasionally seen foraging above ground at night. They don't tolerate heat as well as other lizards in the region and don't go out during the day if possible. Most of their energy is spent on digging and foraging, which generates excess heat, which is often the cause of the need to rest. They prefer a low metabolic rate and mild temperatures. While digging is necessary to find food and expand their underground safe-space, in an established tunnel circuit they can wander the tunnels and forage on invertebrates that pass through without having to dig much more.