this post was submitted on 20 Jun 2023
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๐Ÿ”ฅ Nature Is Lit ๐Ÿ”ฅ

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๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐ŸŒ Let us celebrate our beautiful Earth and remind ourselves of our place in the natural world ๐ŸŒŽ ๐Ÿ”ฅ

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Augrabies flat lizards are common on the granite walls of Augrabies Falls National Park, where they are exposed to thousands of tourists. In summer, they perform acrobatic leaps to catch black flies on the wing from the swarms that gather near rivers; they will also eat ripe berries of Namaqua figs. Augrabies flat lizards will follow bird flocks to find these fruit-laden trees.

One major predator of this lizard is the rock kestrel. Research indicates that the higher the UV levels on a male's throat, the more dominant it is and is less likely to be challenged. These flat lizards have been discovered to have a much higher visual sensitivity to UV light than other lizards species, allowing males to accurately distinguish between conspecifics of various fitness. They have as many as three times the number of UV photoreceptor cells in their retina compared to other lizards.

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