Lizard is not that fragile at all....in fact it is quite tough. Any leather will crack and/or peel over time in not cared for properly.
Bright colors have a tendency to fade if exposed to light for a long time but otherwise lizard is a wonderful leather and resists scratching. I'm a big fan of it.
my lizard vermillion birkin (thanks for the compliments everyone) is about 2 yrs. old now and i don't have any problems with peeling or anything! i love the lizard skin because of it's subtle sheen that can either be formal or casual. it also absorbs color wonderfully! i love vert anis, fuschia, vermillion, ficelle and blanc in lizard - they're just rich in color! they do matted lizard as well in dark colors like black and chocolate! yummy too!