December 2021

Scientific name : Anaxyrus americanus Family : Bufonidae Native to : Eastern United States and Canada Interesting fact : It uses defensive tactics like playing dead and puffing up to twice its size. Conservation status : Least Concern Three sub-species are known, viz. Eastern American toad, Dwarf American toad and Hudson Bay toad. The warty […]

Common name : Bullfrog Scientific name : Lithobates catesbeianus Family : Ranidae Native to : North-Eastern America Interesting fact : The bullfrog is popular as food in some parts of North America. Conservation status : Least Concern With its deep and powerful croak of a bull, the bullfrog is huge measuring 8 inches long. Green

Common name : Gator, Common alligator Scientific name : Alligator mississippiensis Family : Alligatoridae Native to : South-Eastern United States Interesting fact : Though its teeth are strong yet the jaw muscles are weak, so an adult human can just hold its mouth shut with his hands. Conservation status : Least Concern You can tell

Common name : Reticulated poison frog/thumbnail poison frog Scientific name : Dendrobates ventrimaculatus/Ranitomeya Ventrimaculata Family : Dendrobatidae Native to : South America Interesting fact : After hatching, the cannibalistic tadpoles are carried to separate puddles or bromeliad plants by their male parents, so they don’t kill one another. Conservation status : Least Concern A colourful

Common name : Surinam horned frog Scientific name : Ceratophrys cornuta Family : Leptodactylidae Native to : Northern South America  Interesting fact : Insatiable eaters eat almost anything in their way. Conservation status : Least Concern The highly territorial frog has horns above its eyes and a good mix of forest colours which camouflage its

Common name : Golden poison-arrow frog, Andinobates altobueyensis Scientific name : Dendrobates altobueyensis Family : Dendrobatidae Native to : Alto Del Buey Mountain in Western Columbia Interesting fact : Their skin poison was used by Amerindian tribes to poison their darts. Conservation status : Vulnerable The beautiful shiny green spotted body warns its predators of

Common name : Loggerhead turtle Scientific name : Macrochelys temminckii Family : Chelydridae Native to : South-Eastern United States Interesting fact : It lures fish and frogs by wiggling its bright red worm-like structure in its tongue. Conservation status : Vulnerable Spikes on the back and a powerful jaw give it the look of an

Common name : Algerian sand lizard Scientific name : Psammodromus algirus Family : Lacertidae Native to : Algeria, Tunisia, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco and Portugal Interesting fact : Males announce the breeding season by developing blue spots near the shoulders. Conservation status : Least Concern Sand racers lead a terrestrial life and can be found

Common name : Texas diamond-back Scientific name : Crotalus atrox Family : Viperidae Native to : United States and Mexico Interesting fact : The pit behind its nostril detects heat and can tell a predator and prey apart. Conservation status : Least Concern These venomous snakes lack the pigment melanine and appear light in colour.

Common name : Texas rat snake, Pilot black snake Scientific name : Elaphe o. obsoleta Family : Colubridae Native to : Central North America Interesting fact : They pretend to be venomous by rattling their tails. Conservation status : Least Concern Albinos are white and not black as they lack the enzyme for the black