New research reveals that scuba-diving lizards, described as "the chicken nuggets of the forest," use a bubble to breathe underwater

A semiaquatic lizard called a diving anole produces a special bubble atop its head to breathe underwater and avoid predators on land, according to research.

What's scaly, striped and breathes underwater like a scuba diver? Water anoles! These lizards can form a bubble over their head to support breathing underwater. They're found in the tropical forests of southern Costa Rica.

Little lizards that wear snout bubbles underwater really do seem to be using them as tiny scuba tanks. Water anoles (Anolis aquaticus) made headlines a few years ago when they were caught proudly holding onto shiny pockets of air while submerged in their Costa Rican streams.

In the tropical forests of southern Costa Rica, a small, semi-aquatic lizard has evolved an unusual survival technique. Water anoles create a bubble over their nostrils to breathe underwater and avoid predators,

Scientists compared one group of water anoles underwater abilities to another group whose bubble-making capacity was blocked