221 Amphibians and Reptiles Encyclopedia

Common name : Javan wart snake, Javan file snake Scientific name : Acrochordus javanicus Family : Acrochordidae Native to : Northern Sumatra and west coast of Malaysia Interesting fact : Their meat is a delicacy in Asia. Conservation status : Least Concern The elephant trunk snake has a baggy skin making it look larger. It […]

Scientific name : Naja haje Family : Elapidae Native to : Africa Interesting fact : It will move away from danger at first but will strike if threatened. Conservation status : Least Concern It is the largest cobra in Africa. It has a flat head and rounded snout. They flare their hoods when threatened like

Common name : Dyeing poison frog Scientific name : Dendrobates tinctorius Family : Dendrobatidae Native to : Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam and Brazil Interesting fact : The secretion from the frog was supposedly used by natives to dye green parrots’ feathers red. Conservation status : Least Concern They are brilliantly coloured in blue or black

Common name : Cuvier’s dwarf caiman, Musky caiman, Cuvier’s smooth-fronted caiman Scientific name : Paleosuchus palpebrosus Family : Alligatoridae Native to : Northern and Central South America Interesting fact : In some cultures, wearing the teeth of dwarf caimans is believed to protect people from snake bites. Conservation status : Least Concern They are very

Scientific name : Sceloporus arenicolus Family : Phrynosomatidae Native to : New Mexico and Texas Conservation status : Vulnerable They live in a unique habitat surrounded by short oak trees called shinnery oak around depressions caused in sand dunes due to the wind. The belly of the male is blotched in blue while the female

Scientific name : Gopherus agassizii Family : Testudinidae Native to : Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of California, Nevada, Utah and portions of Arizona Interesting fact : Adults can survive up to a year without water. Conservation status : Vulnerable They can burrow up to 6 feet deep to escape the desert heat and the cold

Common name : Knight anole, Chipojo Scientific name : Anolis equestris Family : Polychrotidae Native to : Cuba Interesting fact : Their threat-display includes standing high on limbs, gaping, turning green, bobbing their heads and puffing up their bodies with air. Conservation status : Not Assessed This largest anole is a brilliant green colour. The

Common name : Holy Cross frog, Catholic frog Scientific name : Notaden bennettii Family : Myobatrachidae Native to : New South Wales and Queensland Interesting fact : The toad buries itself to survive long periods without water. Conservation status : Least Concern Quite round for a toad, crucifix toads are brightly coloured with blunt snouts

Common name : Water moccasin, Swamp moccasin, Black moccasin Scientific name : Agkistrodon piscivorus Family : Viperidae Native to : North America Interesting fact : Baby cotton-mouths catch prey by wiggling their brightly coloured tail tips which little frogs mistake for worms. Conservation status : Least Concern This venomous water snake will gape its mouth

Scientific name : Agkistrodon contortrix Family : Viperidae Native to : North America Interesting fact : They are the only snakes to have typical hour-glass shaped bands. Conservation status : Least Concern Their copper red heads give them their name. Heat-sensing pits between eyes help them strike their prey with accuracy. They release a pungent

Common name :  Red-tailed boa, Common boa Scientific name : Boa constrictor Family : Boidae Native to : Central and South America Interesting fact : The eggs are incubated inside the snake and give birth to 60 baby boas. Conservation status : Listed in CITES appendix II to protect them from trade. These tan-coloured non-venomous

Scientific name : Sceloporus graciosus Family : Phrynosomatidae Native to : Western parts of United States Interesting fact : These lizards develop orange markings on the bodies announcing the breeding season. Conservation status : Least Concern They are named after the sagebrush plants in which they are found. The male has a patch of blue

Scientific name : Hyperolius viridiflavus Family : Hyperoliidae Native to : Central and Eastern Africa Interesting fact : When male population goes down, females can change their sex into males by a process called protogyny. Conservation status : Least Concern The common reed frog comes in many colours and has about 50 sub-species. Males attract

Common name : Black-spined toad, Asian toad, Black spectacled toad, Common sunda toad, Javanese toad Scientific name : Duttaphrynus melanostictus/Bufo melanostictus Family : Bufonidae Native to : Widely distributed in South and South-East Asia Interesting fact : The gland behind its eyes produces toxins to ward off predators Conservation status : Least Concern The skins

Common name : Eastern box turtle Scientific name : Terrapene carolina Family : Emydidae Native to : Eastern United States and Eastern Mexico Interesting fact : When it is too hot, the box turtle keeps itself cool by smearing saliva on its head and hands, and urinates on the lower parts of the body. Conservation