When we talk about training our pets, it’s more often than not referring to dogs. . . But what about our reptilian friends?
To celebrate World Lizard Day (a very important day in the calendar if you ask us!) on 14 August, international animal trainer/UK comedian Emma Malik is demonstrating the smarts of the lizard world through her Central Bearded Dragon friend, Lady Dragon Dave. . . Who is learning to play soccer. GOAL!
In this fun ‘how to train your dragon’ video, it shows Lady Dragon Dave quickly learning to shoot and score like a pro thanks to a training method called operant conditioning.
The origins of World Lizard Day are unclear, but who cares? Because it’s a thing, we’re bringing you a video of a lizard playing soccer. Can you seriously think of a better way to cap off the week? We’re waiting.
Emma says lizards are much smarter than people give them credit for.
“The old school folk tend to just grab and restrain but why cause such unnecessary stress on the lizard when you could train it to voluntarily go into a carry box or step-up onto some scales,” Emma says. “By showing people that lizards can learn, I hope to build a connection between people and lizards, with the aim of people forming a deeper respect for our wild lizards and the environment they live in.”
There are about 6,000 species of lizards live today, a number of them undermined species. World Lizard Day (14 August) is the perfect reason to celebrate lizards and show our appreciation for them!
