221 Amphibians and Reptiles Encyclopedia

Scientific name : Plethodon sherando Family : Plethodontidae Native to : United States Interesting fact : They are lungless and breathe through their moist skins. Conservation status : Vulnerable The moist and shiny-skinned salamanders can be found in rocky and forested areas under logs and other debris. They occur as striped and unstriped morphs. The […]

Scientific name : Platysternon megacephalum Family : Platysternidae Native to : South-East Asia and Southern China Interesting fact : The turtle can climb up trees using its beak and tail. Conservation status : Endangered Five sub-species have been identified. It has a large, triangular head which cannot be withdrawn into the shell. But the head’s

Common name : Mexican plateau slider Scientific name : Trachemys gaigeae Family : Emydidae Native to : South-Western United States and Northern Mexico Interesting fact : Young ones are carnivores and gradually become herbivores when they grow older. Conservation status : Vulnerable They are called sliders as they quickly slide into water from rocks or

Common name : Green tree python, Chondro Scientific name : Morelia viridis Family : Pythonidae Native to : Biak Island in New Guinea Interesting fact : They have a typical way of resting on trees with loops forming a saddle over the branch and the head in the middle. Conservation status : Least Concern Found

Common name : Barbour’s sawback Scientific name : Graptemys barbouri Family : Emydidae Native to : South-Eastern United States Interesting fact : Egg temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or less produces males and 30 degrees Celsius or more produces females. Conservation status : Vulnerable They are found near water bodies like rivers and are aggressive

Common name : Japalura tree dragon, Chinese tree dragon, Dragon agama, Neon tree dragon Scientific name : Japalura splendida Family : Agamidae Native to : South-Western China and South-East Tibet Interesting fact : They love to bathe often and hence pets require a bowl of water in the vivarium. Conservation status : Not Assessed Apt

Common name : Harlequin toads, Stubfoot toads, Clown frog Scientific name : Atelpus Limosus Family : Bufonidae Native to : American tropics Interesting fact : Its only predator is the Sarcophagid fly. The larvae are laid on the frog’s burrow inside and slowly kill by feeding on the frog. Conservation status : Endangered The genus

Common name : Chusan Island toad Scientific name : Bufo gargarizans Family : Bufonidae Native to : East Asia Interesting fact : The toxin derived from its body is used in ancient Chinese medicine and is gaining popularity in modern medicine too. Conservation status : Least Concern They are identified by their warts which have

Common name : Armadillo spiny-tailed lizard Scientific name : Cordylus cataphractus Family : Cordylidae Native to : Deserts of west coast of South Africa Interesting fact : It can roll into a ball like an armadillo when threatened. Conservation status : Vulnerable Covered in spiny scales, these lizards inhabit deserts and rocky areas. Their flat

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