sungazer
Spiny South African
Sungazer has two distinct meanings.
One is a person who practices sungazing—staring directly at the sun, usually at sunrise or sunset, as a spiritual or health practice.
Proponents claim benefits; ophthalmologists warn of permanent eye damage.
The other is a heavily armored South African lizard that basks facing the sun, named for this habit.
Lizard or lizard-like
- scalyCovered with thin plates
- spinyHaving sharp points
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
- terrariumGlass-walled growing enclosure
ectotherm · cold-blooded · squamate · reptilian · oviparous · basking · burrowing · grassland
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- poachingUnlawful wildlife capture
CITES · protected · preservation · biodiversity · sustainability · ecosystem · stewardship · sanctuary
Instrument magnifying faraway objects
- stargazingObserving celestial bodies
- night-skyOverhead darkness after dusk
- observatoryFacility for celestial study
- planetsStar-orbiting celestial bodies
cosmos · nebulae · galaxies · astrophotography · celestial · comets · constellations · amateur
Warming oneself pleasantly
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
- equinoxSun crosses celestial midline
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
- sunriseMorning light's arrival
Glass-walled growing enclosure
- vivariumEnclosure for living specimens
- husbandryFarm management practice
- enclosureConfined, bordered space
- substrateUnderlying supporting material
feeding · rare · collectible · smuggling · permit · black-market · herpetologist · breeder
saurian
Lizard or lizard-like
- scalyCovered with thin plates
- spinyHaving sharp points
- herpetologyStudy of reptiles, amphibians
terrarium · ectotherm · cold-blooded · squamate · reptilian · oviparous · basking · burrowing · grassland · endemic
endangered
At risk of extinction
- threatenedExpressed intent to harm
- vulnerableOpen to attack
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
poaching · CITES · protected · preservation · biodiversity · sustainability · ecosystem · stewardship · sanctuary · endemic
telescope
Instrument magnifying faraway objects
- stargazingObserving celestial bodies
- night-skyOverhead darkness after dusk
- observatoryFacility for celestial study
planets · cosmos · nebulae · galaxies · astrophotography · celestial · comets · constellations · amateur · deep-sky
basking
Warming oneself pleasantly
- solsticeDay of maximum tilt
- equinoxSun crosses celestial midline
- ultravioletWavelengths shorter than violet
terrarium
Glass-walled growing enclosure
- vivariumEnclosure for living specimens
- husbandryFarm management practice
- enclosureConfined, bordered space
substrate · feeding · rare · collectible · smuggling · permit · black-market · herpetologist · breeder · import
- girdled lizardssungazers
sungazerchameleon
Lizard altering its pigmentation
gecko · glass lizard · anole · skink