Sahil Gupta

Common name : Eastern corn snake, Corn snake, Chicken snake, Red rat snake Scientific name : Pantherophis guttatus Family : Colubridae Native to : Eastern and South-Eastern United States Interesting fact : Corn snakes feed on mice and rats that feed on harvested corn in grain stores and hence their name. Conservation status : Least […]

Common name : Lance-nosed chameleon, Blade chameleon Scientific name : Calumma gallus Family : Chamaeleonidae Native to : Eastern Madagascar Conservation status : Endangered One of the tiniest of chameleons, it is also the prettiest with the male having a pink-tipped, blue-spotted blade-like snout. The base of the snout is green and runs as a

Scientific name : Ambystoma californiense Family : Ambystomatidae Native to : Central California Interesting fact : They are known to live for over 30 years. Conservation status : Vulnerable This rare amphibian is shiny black with yellow or white spots and pink-tipped toes. They are quite large with broad heads and blunt snouts. They live

Common name : Green map turtle Scientific name : Graptemys caglei Family : Emydidae Native to : United States Interesting fact : They are the smallest of map turtles with the larger females measuring only 7 inches. Conservation status : Endangered Fine map-like swirling lines mark its shell and skin. Spines run down the centre

Common name : Bushmasters, Atlantic forest bushmaster Scientific name : Lachesis Family : Viperidae Native to : Amazon basin of South America Interesting fact : They can survive with less than 10 large meals a year. Conservation status : Vulnerable As a pit viper, they have heat-sensing infrared pits between eyes and nostrils to sense

Scientific name : Tupinambis sp. Family : Teiidae Native to : Central and South America Interesting fact : They are popular as food and pets. Conservation status : Least Concern These muscular lizards look like monitor lizards. They flick their forked tongues in the air to sense predators. They are black and white with bands

Common name : Tinga, Jacare. Verde Scientific name : Caiman latirostris Family : Alligatoridae Native to : Eastern and Central South America Interesting fact : Humans are the predators of these caimans. Conservation status : Least Concern Its snout is even broader than that of an alligator. Covered in scales, plates and ridges, they are

Common name : Striped chorus frog Scientific name : Pseudacris maculata Family : Hylidae Native to : Canada, United States Interesting fact : Their characteristic call in spring is like the sound produced when running fingernails on the teeth of a comb. Conservation status : Least Concern This tree frog can be identified with a

Scientific name : Hydrophis mamillaris Family : Hydrophiidae Native to : Coasts of India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan Conservation status : Data Deficient This cold-blooded venomous snake has an opposing jaw and teeth. Their long slender bodies are covered in scales. They are legless and lack eyelids and external ears. Its laterally compressed tail is

Common name : San Joaquin leopard lizard Scientific name : Gambelia sila Family : Crotaphytidae Native to : Southern California Interesting fact : It can leap to about 60 cm to catch its prey and change body colour according to its surroundings. Conservation status : Endangered The blunt-nosed lizard has a tail that grows back

Scientific name : Plethodon amplus Family : Plethodontidae Native to : Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina, United States Interesting fact : They have no lungs and breathe through their moist skins. Conservation status : Vulnerable They have shiny dark grey bodies which are light at the cheek region giving them their name. They thrive

Common name : Okopipi, Blue poison arrow frog, Dyeing poison dart frog Scientific name : Dendrobates azureus Family : Dendrobatidae Native to : Surinam Interesting fact : The only natural predator of most of the poison dart frogs family is the snake called Leimadophis epinephelus, which has become resistant to the toxin. Conservation status :

Common name : Faint banded sea snake, Belcher’s sea snake Scientific name : Hydrophis belcheri Family : Elapidae Native to : Indian Ocean, Gulf of Thailand and Australia Interesting fact : With valves on the nostrils, they can hold their breath for 7 to 8 hours under water. Conservation status : Data Deficient These deadly

Common name : Sinai agama Scientific name : Pseudotrapelus Sinaitus Family : Agamidae Native to : Africa Interesting fact : The lizard’s head turns blue during the breeding season. Conservation status : Unknown With more than 37 species, agamas are also called rainbow lizards due to beautiful display of colours by males. Males fight often