Lizards

Lizards are the most common predators in Rain World. They will actively hunt down Slugcat, as well as other creatures of similar size, such as Squidcadas, Scavengers, Centipedes, and even other lizards.

They come in many varieties, and depending on the sub-species, the player will have to react in many different ways to fight, evade, or distract them.

Movement
Whether crawling through tunnels or walking on land, Lizards always maintain the same speed, slower than Slugcat's running but faster than Slugcat's crawling. Which means that while on the floor, the player can outrun a Lizard. However, in a tunnel or on a pole, the player will quickly be caught by the lizard. Lizards are not as intelligent as Slugcat, and may be outmaneuvered during a chase. Most non-climbing varieties of Lizards can be jumped over without too much trouble, as it takes them a moment to turn around, though if the player does not jump high enough they may be bitten out of the air. Backflipping over the lizard is safer, but also more difficult.

Lizards possess a wide variety of abilities when it comes to maneuverability, with some able to climb poles and others able to climb walls on the background. While most Lizards crawl like any normal lizards, Green Lizards appear to haul themselves along the floor, much like modern day crocodiles.



Senses
Lizards rely on both sight and sound to perceive their prey. Lizards have on average a 250° sight range, which varies by breed, and can hear and investigate noises caused by the Slugcat or other prey. It is often possible to sneak around a lizard to get the drop on them in combat, or to avoid them entirely.

Hunting
Lizards use various strategies depending on the subspecies in order to catch prey. However, a large variety of them can be observed doing the following; when within close range of prey, they will either approach at their usual speed with their mouth open, or they will stop for a few seconds before rushing forward to charge the player. Once they have caught Slugcat, there is a roughly 1 in 12 chance that the Slugcat will immediately die, varying by lizard type, but otherwise they will drag the Slugcat alive back to their den. If the Lizard is attacked, they may drop Slugcat, and the player may be able to escape from what appeared to be certain death. Note that the screen will display the game over message if caught by a lizard regardless of whether the bite killed them or not. You can distinguish whether or not the Slugcat is still alive by listening to the number of bass notes that play when the game over screen appears. One means you're alive and can still escape, two means you died instantly.

Combat
Lizards are vulnerable to spears, but their tough, glowing heads will deflect them in a head-on battle. If Slugcat is able to sneak up, outmaneuver, or stun the lizard in order to get a shot at their body, they can damage the lizard with the spear and briefly stun it. Lizards can also be hit with a spear if they open their mouths, but since this only happens while spitting or biting, this is a rather risky maneuver. The player can retrieve the spear from the lizard's body after a brief period of time, but the lizard may retaliate once it has gotten over the shock of being stabbed, and Slugcat must continue attacking quickly or retreat to avoid being bitten while retrieving a spear. Rocks do negligible damage to Lizards, but can be used to stun a Lizard or flip it over to reveal its vulnerable body for a spear attack. Most Lizards will die after being hit by 2 to 4 spears, depending on the type of lizard.

Fear
Certain Lizards will naturally react fearfully around larger predators, such as Vultures, by running and hiding, typically without paying any attention to prey such as Slugcat while doing so. In certain cases, they may also run away from Slugcat. If a Lizard is dealt just enough damage that it is close to death but still alive, they will run in fear from Slugcat and never attack again, even in subsequent cycles. Many Lizards will also run in fear from a Slugcat wearing a Vulture mask.

Taming
Whilst Lizards can't be fully controlled, you can distract them by feeding them prey, such as dead Squidcadas, Lantern Mice or Scavengers. Doing this about two to four times can tame a Lizard, although the amount required varies on the individual lizard and its subspecies, as well as any hostility Slugcat may have shown the Lizard in previous encounters. When playing as The Monk, lizards take much less feeding to tame (most likely due to them being more "empathetic with creatures"). Alternatively, saving Lizards from predators (for example, knocking a Lizard out of the beak of a Vulture) will immediately tame them. Once a Lizard is tamed, it will not attack Slugcat and will follow them around, even sleeping with slugcat in their hibernation chamber. Sleeping repeatedly in a hibernation chamber with a Lizard unlocks the achievement "The Friend".

Lizard Types
There are many different subspecies of Lizards, codified by varying color schemes. Each breed of Lizard possesses unique quirks and abilities.

Green Lizard
"Main Article: Green Lizard" Green lizards are likely the first variety of Lizard that a new player will encounter, and are thankfully relatively slow, lazy, and even somewhat passive compared to other Lizards. They possess no unique abilities aside from a somewhat greater size and significantly increased health, as well as a charge attack that can be easily dodged by simply jumping over them. Due to their lack of mobility, Green Lizards can be avoided simply by climbing up a pole or standing on higher ground, though one must be careful, as they can still travel through certain tunnels that Slugcat cannot access in order to reach an elevated Slugcat. They have slight variations among their colors, sometimes appearing more lime, but are usually easy to identify. They are natively found in early areas of the game, especially The Outskirts and Industrial Complex.

Magenta Lizard
"Main Article: Magenta Lizard" Magenta lizards, aka Pink or Purple Lizards due to the wide range of colors they can sport, are very average Lizards in nearly every way. Unlike green lizards, they can climb up poles. They are found early on in the game in The Outskirts and Industrial Complex. While they are a noteworthy threat, they can often be outmaneuvered or outran fairly easily. This breed also has above average hearing and sight abilities, which may make them seem more aggressive than other sorts.

Blue Lizard
"Main Article: Blue Lizard" Blue lizards are the weakest and smallest of all Lizards, easily killed with two well placed spears, or gravely injured with one. However, they are also fast and capable of climbing background elements, making them significantly more dangerous than other lizards if one is unable to get the drop on them, as they will be capable of chasing Slugcat through difficult terrain. Alongside the Blue Lizard's mobility, they also have a tongue that can be used to grab prey from a short distance, dragging them into biting range or stealing weapons. They are found in most regions of the game, though in smaller numbers than most other lizards.

White Lizard
"Main Article: White Lizard" White Lizards are dangerous ambush predators capable of blending in to their environment in order to ambush Slugcat. Like Blue Lizards, they can climb on background elements in the game, but they also possess a significantly longer and stronger tongue than blue lizards, capable of grabbing Slugcat from an impressive distance. Rather than chasing their prey down, they prefer to get the drop on them by waiting for it to get in range before hissing and attempting to grab the prey with its tongue. If they catch a Slugcat, their grip is strong enough that they will almost never let go until the prey is within biting range, even if Slugcat is holding on to a pole or below the lizard. Slugcat can force the lizard to release its hold by hitting it with a rock or spear, and failing this may be able to quickly approach the lizard and dodge its bite. Thankfully white lizards have fairly low health, once they have been hit by a single spear, they will typically lose their camouflage abilities and run away from slugcat in fear, while three spears are usually sufficient to kill them. They spawn in specific locations all across the game, but are particularly common in The Exterior.

Orange Lizard
"Main Article: Orange Lizard" Orange Lizards are pack hunters with sizable antennae on their heads, which they use to communicate with nearby orange lizards. If one spots Slugcat, it will cause other orange lizards to give chase as well, possibly surrounding the player. Orange lizards do not fight among themselves, and have a faster running speed than most lizards, able to keep pace with the Slugcat, but have lower health than most lizards, and can be scared away with one well placed spear or killed with two. "Alpha" orange lizards have larger antennae than normal oranges, and appear to hold the communication ability of their pack together. If the alpha is killed, the entire pack will lose its communication abilities, making them much less threatening. Orange Lizards are found in The Exterior, Sky Islands, and Farm Arrays. They possess slight variations to their color scheme, which may make them appear more yellow than orange sometimes.

Black Lizard
"Main Article: Black Lizard" Black lizards, aka "Mole Lizards," are blind creatures with mole-like tendrils on their nose, adapted to living in dark environments. Although they can't detect prey by sight, if they pick up a sound or vibration, their heads will glow and they will head to the location from which it originated. They can be distracted by throwing something into a wall away from Slugcat, and do not pose a large threat unless they corner Slugcat or are present in large groups. They have typical health, and spawn natively in Shaded Citadel and Subterranean.

Salamander'''
"Main Article: Salamanders" Salamanders are colorful, amphibious creatures that behave just like lizards, but with axolotl-like heads that lack the glow of other breeds. They are adept swimmers, and have a sticky tongue which they use similarly to blue lizards. Although they are not much more of a threat than a purple lizard on land, they are able to chase the player in water, and will outpace slugcat in a straight swim, though they can be outmaneuvered. They spawn natively in Drainage System, Shoreline, and Subterranean.

Red Lizard
"Main Article: Red Lizard" Red lizards, due to their size and ferocity, are deadly hunters which thankfully are also very uncommon. Not only are they faster, larger, tougher, more aggressive, and even more intelligent than the usual lizard, they also possess a spitting attack to stun and slow down prey. They can only climb poles like magenta lizards can, but their large size and flexibility make them capable of chasing slugcat down almost anywhere. They are rarer than other lizards since they do not spawn normally for the Survivor or the Monk, only occasionally moving in to replace a lizard that was killed some other way. Even a single red lizard is extremely dangerous, and taking one down is considered an impressive feat. While they can be tamed, they will require much more food than any other lizard to do so.

Cyan Lizard
"Main Article: Cyan Lizard" Also known as Leapzards, these lizards can make sudden leaps to navigate terrain and pounce on the player. Although they are brutally quick, they typically will only be found when playing as the hunter, although they may spawn for the survivor if other lizards are killed. They are marked with blue neon circles on the side and spots on their leaf shaped tail. Their eyes and mouths glow, and their markings appear to flash when hit. Like blue lizards, they have the ability to crawl on background elements and use their tongue to pull slugcat towards them from a short distance, but their speed makes them much more fearsome predators. Despite their impressive mobility, they are not terribly tough, and can be killed with only a few spears provided the player can get their timing just right.

Combat Tips

 * Lizards' heads are heavily armored and immune to spears, but a rock to the head will flip them over and expose their tender underbelly, as well as stun them for a second.
 * All lizards' torsos are weak points; spearing these will result in direct damage to them. They can also be pinned against walls or the floor this way.
 * Explosives scare lizards away, causing them to leave whatever room you threw them in.
 * If a lizard is climbing on a pole or background wall, getting hit by a spear or rock will cause them to fall off, possibly to their death.
 * You can jump on a lizard's back without getting eaten immediately, but this is a risky move since the lizard may bite you as you jump over it. White and blue lizards can turn on a dime, however, and will tend to grab you out of the air if you try to jump over them.
 * Lizards can be lured into environmental traps, such as a pole plant.
 * Lizards are preyed on by other predators, such as vultures and daddy long legs, and can be fought off or killed by scavengers.
 * It's possible to immediately escape from some lizards once they grab you if you have a spear in hand and react quick enough to throw it. This should either bounce off the lizard's head and stun it or stab its body, forcing it to drop you. It's inadvisable to rely on this, however, as it isn't guaranteed to work every time.

Trivia

 * Green lizards are braver than many other lizards, and will not react in fear to vultures, sometimes fighting them off. They can also walk over worm grass without being eaten.
 * Cyan lizards are the second creature that was able to pounce and leap at the player.
 * Lizards have an advanced rivalry system which cause them to get in territorial fights. They may spend some time hissing at each other, getting more and more annoyed, until they begin biting. Eventually, one will typically decide to submit to the other before any significant damage is done.
 * When the game was first in development, lizards were planned to be the only enemy present.
 * Lizards were originally called "crocs" in development.
 * There was, at one point, a mode in development where the player was to go out and hunt down lizard eggs.