221 Amphibians and Reptiles Encyclopedia

Scientific name : Varanus giganteus Family : Varanidae Native to : Australia Interesting fact : Perenties can run at 40 km/h and were a favourite food-item amongst the Aborigines. Conservation status : Not Assessed The perentie is the second largest lizard in the world at 2.5 feet long. It has a brown body with pale […]

Common name : South Indian rock agama, Peninsular rock agama Scientific name : Psammophilus dorsalis Family : Agamidae Native to : South India Interesting fact : Males bask on rock and do push-up displays. Conservation status : Least concern Peninsular rock agamas are fond of rocky hills that are 6000 feet above the sea level.

Scientific name : Graptemys pearlensis Family : Emydidae Native to : Pearl river, United States Interesting fact : The larger female turtles can feed on the clams while the smaller males cannot. Conservation status : Endangered Named after the river it lives in, the Pearl river map turtle is closely related to the Pascagoula map

Common name : Thunder ridge salamander Scientific name : Plethodon hubrichti Family : Plethodontidae Native to : Virginia, United States Interesting fact : When they get defensive, they stay still or coil up and secrete pungent-smelling liquid. Conservation status : Vulnerable Named after its location, the peaks of otter salamander is slender and black with

Common name : Royal python, Ball python Scientific name : Python regius Family : Pythonidae Native to : Africa Interesting fact : Ball pythons roll into balls when threatened and they were worn as jewellery by some African rulers. Conservation status : Least Concern The smallest African python is the ball python measuring 5 to

Common name : Saw-backs Scientific name : Graptemys gibbonsi Family : Emydidae Native to : Southern United States Interesting fact : Due to the sharp scales on the shell they are also called ‘Saw-backs’. Conservation status : Endangered Named after the river it is found in, the Pascagoula map turtle has an olive green domed

Scientific name : Elgaria panamintina Family : Anguidae Native to : California Interesting fact : The alligator lizard is  very aggressive and bites when threatened            Conservation status : Vulnerable Living in desert mountains are Panamint alligator lizards that are yellow with broad brown crossbands. Covered in smooth scales they have long tails almost twice their

Common name : Zetek’s golden frog, Cerro Campana stubfoot toad Scientific name : Atelopus zeteki Family : Bufonidae Native to : Panama Interesting fact : The golden frog is considered as a sign of good luck in Panama. Conservation status : Critically Endangered Contrary to its name, the golden frog is a toad that is

Scientific name : Chrysemys picta Family : Emydidae Native to : North America but widely distributed Interesting fact : Nesting females sometimes get stuck in the mud to an extent that they can’t even move. Conservation status : Least Concern The painted turtle is truly a piece of art that is olive with yellow or

Common name : Cochin banded sea snake, Gray’s sea snake Scientific name : Hydrophis ornatus Family : Elapidae Native to : Widely distributed from the Arabian Gulf and eastwards till Australia Interesting fact : The sea snake can remain under water for up to 2 hours. Conservation status : Least Concern Venomous ornate reef sea

Common name : Argentine horned frog, Argentine wide-mouthed frog, Ornate pacman frog Scientific name : Ceratophys ornata Family : Leptodactylidae Native to : Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil Interesting fact : It is also called ‘mouth with legs’ as the mouth seems to cover the entire front half of the body. Conservation status : Near Threatened True

Scientific name : Batrachoseps wrightorum Family : Plethodontidae Native to : North-Western United States Interesting fact : The salamander tends to coil and lay motionless if found. Conservation status : Vulnerable Oregon slender salamanders are small and slender growing to a length of 8.6-10.8 cm. The dark brown body has yellow to reddish brown markings

Common name : Cascade salamander Scientific name : Rhyacotriton olympicus Family : Rhyacotritonidae Native to : United States Interesting fact : When disturbed, the salamander will roll over and expose its bright yellow belly to startle its predators. Conservation status : Vulnerable Olympic torrent salamanders have distinct bright yellow bellies. These small 10 cm salamanders

Common name : Golden sea snake Scientific name : Aipysurus laevis Family : Elapidae Native to : Indo-Pacific oceans Interesting fact : The olive sea snake has light-detecting receptors on its tail and hence hides in the deepest coral holes during the day. Conservation status : Least Concern Olive brown in colour, the olive sea

Common name : Pacific ridley sea turtle Scientific name : Lepidochelys olivacea Family : Cheloniidae Native to : Pacific and Indian Oceans Interesting fact : Thousands of turtles migrate and come together, called arribada, to lay their eggs in the beach. Conservation status : Vulnerable Olive ridley turtles have typical heart-shaped shells which may appear