👨🔬🔬🦎🐍 2009 Lizards & Snakes: ALIVE! EX. Stars of the World of Reptiles
Saturday, 20 June 2009 06:11.PM
Green Iguanas (Iguana iguana) are leaf eaters, and their diet partly explains why they’re bigger than most lizards. Leaves don’t provide much energy so the Iguana needs to eat a lot of them. It takes a big stomach to hold and digest that bulky diet, and a big stomach means a big body.
Collared Lizards (Crotaphytus collaris), which live in the central and western United States and northern Mexico, run on their powerful hind limbs. In short bursts, they are about as fast as humans in full sprint. Collared Lizards gape and flash the black lining of their throats when threatened.
Green Basilisks (Basiliscus plumifrons) are found in Central America and sprint across the surfaces of streams when startled. They accomplish this with the help of fringes that increase the surface area of their toes and by churning their legs to create pockets of air in the surface of the water to avoid being pulled down into the water. To manage a feat like this, an 80 kilogram human would have to maintain a speed of 100 kilometres/hour.
Chuckwallas (Sauromalus ater), found in Mexico and the southwestern United States, wedge themselves into small crevices and expand for a tighter fit when threatened.
Western Fence Lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis) or one of their relatives—about 130 species in all—can be found in nearly every habitat in North and Central America.
Cuban Knight Anoles (Anolis equestris) live on the branches of mango and palm trees in Cuba. Their large heads deliver a powerful bite that can subdue a wide variety of prey including frogs, but they also eat fruit such as figs. Like other anoles, they can change colour from brown to green and back; Knight Anoles turn green for their aggressive displays.
Eastern Water Dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) and their relatives have permanent teeth fused to their jaws, unlike most lizards, whose teeth are periodically replaced. Indigenous to eastern Australia and southern New Guinea, Water Dragons live in trees near water and will drop from great heights into water when disturbed.
Frilled Lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii), to look menacing, expand a thin fold of skin that pops out around their necks like an automatic umbrella. The frill, which usually hangs like a cape, can be 30 centimetres across when erect.
Cuban Knight Anoles (Anolis equestris) live on the branches of mango and palm trees in Cuba. Their large heads deliver a powerful bite that can subdue a wide variety of prey including frogs, but they also eat fruit such as figs. Like other anoles, they can change colour from brown to green and back; Knight Anoles turn green for their aggressive displays.
Eastern Water Dragons (Physignathus lesueurii) and their relatives have permanent teeth fused to their jaws, unlike most lizards, whose teeth are periodically replaced. Indigenous to eastern Australia and southern New Guinea, Water Dragons live in trees near water and will drop from great heights into water when disturbed.
Frilled Lizards (Chlamydosaurus kingii), to look menacing, expand a thin fold of skin that pops out around their necks like an automatic umbrella. The frill, which usually hangs like a cape, can be 30 centimetres across when erect.
Veiled Chameleons (Chamaeleo calyptratus), native to the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, have special cells in their skin that facilitate rapid and complex colour pattern changes, which they use to communicate with other animals and for camouflage.
Madagascan Giant Day Geckos (Phelsuma madagascariensis), along with other geckos, can hang from ceilings and sleep on tree trunks without falling off. Their secret is in the millions of tiny hair like structures on their broad toe pads. These structures are so small that they use molecular level forces to adhere to surfaces, even those as smooth as glass.
Common Leaftailed Geckos (Uroplatus fimbriatus) have the distinction of having more teeth than any other amniote (terrestrial vertebrate). Their fringes, colouration, and flattened body help conceal them from predators in the rain forests of Madagascar.
Lined Leaftailed Geckos (Uroplatus lineatus) are solid yellow by day and chocolate brown with yellow stripes at night. Like closely related species, the females hold their eggs with their hind legs until they harden, and then hide them in the leaf litter.
Henkel’s Leaftailed Geckos (Uroplatus henkeli), both male and female, have dramatically different colour patterns. The males are yellow with large brown spots and the females are beige grey with fine speckling.
Madagascan Giant Day Geckos (Phelsuma madagascariensis), along with other geckos, can hang from ceilings and sleep on tree trunks without falling off. Their secret is in the millions of tiny hair like structures on their broad toe pads. These structures are so small that they use molecular level forces to adhere to surfaces, even those as smooth as glass.
Common Leaftailed Geckos (Uroplatus fimbriatus) have the distinction of having more teeth than any other amniote (terrestrial vertebrate). Their fringes, colouration, and flattened body help conceal them from predators in the rain forests of Madagascar.
Lined Leaftailed Geckos (Uroplatus lineatus) are solid yellow by day and chocolate brown with yellow stripes at night. Like closely related species, the females hold their eggs with their hind legs until they harden, and then hide them in the leaf litter.
Henkel’s Leaftailed Geckos (Uroplatus henkeli), both male and female, have dramatically different colour patterns. The males are yellow with large brown spots and the females are beige grey with fine speckling.
Crested Geckos (Rhacodactylus ciliatus), known only from New Caledonia, 1,690 kilometres east of Australia, had been thought to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1994. Unlike most geckos, they are known to eat fruit.
Tropical Girdled Lizards (Cordylus tropidosternum), found in eastern Africa, are protected by two layers of heavy duty body armour. They give birth to live young as opposed to laying eggs like many of their relatives.
Bluetongued Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides) scare away predators by sticking out their brightly coloured tongues and hissing. These relatively slowmoving skinks bear live young as opposed to laying eggs like many related species.
Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) are one of only two highly venomous lizards. Their venom is channeled through special grooves in their teeth, and, when mixed with saliva and the blood of their prey, kills or disables them. Their venom has components that are being studied for diabetes treatment.
Water Monitors (Varanus salvator), indigenous to southeastern Asia and Indonesia, are consummate omnivores, able to eat even toxic Marine Toads without ill effect. One of the most economically important squamates, millions are killed each year for their meat and hides.
Tropical Girdled Lizards (Cordylus tropidosternum), found in eastern Africa, are protected by two layers of heavy duty body armour. They give birth to live young as opposed to laying eggs like many of their relatives.
Bluetongued Skinks (Tiliqua scincoides) scare away predators by sticking out their brightly coloured tongues and hissing. These relatively slowmoving skinks bear live young as opposed to laying eggs like many related species.
Gila Monsters (Heloderma suspectum) are one of only two highly venomous lizards. Their venom is channeled through special grooves in their teeth, and, when mixed with saliva and the blood of their prey, kills or disables them. Their venom has components that are being studied for diabetes treatment.
Water Monitors (Varanus salvator), indigenous to southeastern Asia and Indonesia, are consummate omnivores, able to eat even toxic Marine Toads without ill effect. One of the most economically important squamates, millions are killed each year for their meat and hides.
Green Tree Monitors (Varanus prasinus), native to Australia and New Guinea, spend most of their time in trees. They climb easily, gripping with their long toes and claws and using their long, flexible tails as a sort of fifth limb.
Emerald Tree Boas (Corallus caninus), found in the Amazon basin, have multiple, highly sensitive heat sensing organs that they use for 3D thermal imaging of prey. They are strikingly similar—in colour pattern and in the way they drape themselves on branches—to the Green Tree Python from Australia and New Guinea.
Amazonian Tree Boas (Corallus hortulanus), like the Emerald Tree Boa, grab and hold their prey with long teeth while squeezing their victims with their constricting coils. Some of these snakes have more than 200 teeth, which regenerate continually throughout their life.
Gabon Vipers (Bitis gabonica) have huge fangs, almost three centimetres long in adults, that rotate to a flat position when the snake’s mouth is closed. When the snake gapes to strike, the bone to which the fangs are attached rotates, erecting the fangs. Despite their colourful pattern, they are virtually invisible on the forest floor.
Eastern Green Mambas (Dendroaspis angusticeps) are slender, fast moving snakes that live in the treetops, where their vivid green colour is good camouflage. Eastern Green Mambas are highly venomous but not as aggressive as often reported. They eat rodents, bats, and birds.
Emerald Tree Boas (Corallus caninus), found in the Amazon basin, have multiple, highly sensitive heat sensing organs that they use for 3D thermal imaging of prey. They are strikingly similar—in colour pattern and in the way they drape themselves on branches—to the Green Tree Python from Australia and New Guinea.
Amazonian Tree Boas (Corallus hortulanus), like the Emerald Tree Boa, grab and hold their prey with long teeth while squeezing their victims with their constricting coils. Some of these snakes have more than 200 teeth, which regenerate continually throughout their life.
Gabon Vipers (Bitis gabonica) have huge fangs, almost three centimetres long in adults, that rotate to a flat position when the snake’s mouth is closed. When the snake gapes to strike, the bone to which the fangs are attached rotates, erecting the fangs. Despite their colourful pattern, they are virtually invisible on the forest floor.
Eastern Green Mambas (Dendroaspis angusticeps) are slender, fast moving snakes that live in the treetops, where their vivid green colour is good camouflage. Eastern Green Mambas are highly venomous but not as aggressive as often reported. They eat rodents, bats, and birds.
Red Spitting Cobras (Naja pallida), found in eastern Africa, are able to spit venom into the eyes of potential predators from as far as 1.5 metres away. Little is known about them except that their diet consists primarily of frogs.
Campbell’s Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum campbell) are harmless and stay safe by imitating the colouration of the highly venomous Coral Snake.
Burmese Pythons (Python molurus) have beautifully patterned skin that helps them blend into the shadows of the forest floor but also threatens their survival. Pythons are hunted for their hides, which are used to make clothing and accessories. Females are more at risk; larger than males, they can reach up to 7 metres in length.
Campbell’s Milk Snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum campbell) are harmless and stay safe by imitating the colouration of the highly venomous Coral Snake.
Burmese Pythons (Python molurus) have beautifully patterned skin that helps them blend into the shadows of the forest floor but also threatens their survival. Pythons are hunted for their hides, which are used to make clothing and accessories. Females are more at risk; larger than males, they can reach up to 7 metres in length.