Fun at the Pueblo Zoo: an afternoon with Beans the chuckwalla

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Meet Beans the chuckwalla, she's a lizard native to Southern Colorado. Friday, the Pueblo Zoo gave KRDO a behind-the-scenes look at Bean and her fellow chuckwallas.

According to zookeepers, there are about five or six different species of chuckwallas around the world. Bean is one of the species found in the prairies around Pueblo.

Beans name reflects her coloring, which is brown. Male chuckwallas, however, are brighter in color. According to zookeepers, male chuckwallas have black and yellow markings meant to look like bird poop on rocks, camouflaging them from predators.

These lizards can live between 25 and 30 years in the wild. In captivity, they can live upwards of 50 years. However, chuckwallas are endangered because of the pet trade.

To see Bean and other reptiles, visit the Pueblo Zoo.