LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas is about to get a larger lizard population.

The Little Rock Zoo announced on Tuesday the birth of 20 eastern collared lizards.

A cooperative, which consists of the zoo, Arkansas Game and Fish, University of Central Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas, are hoping to repopulate the young lizards in the Ozark Mountains as part of a conservation project.

With help from the partnership, the lizards will be released into glade habitats around the state to keep the species alive and thriving in the years ahead.

To learn more about the lizards at the Little Rock Zoo, head to LittleRockZoo.com.