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

Scientific name : Epicrates maurus Family : Boidae Native to : Columbia and northern parts of South America Interesting fact : They have heat-sensing pits on their heads to detect their warm-blooded prey. Conservation status : Not Evaluated The scales of these snakes reflect light to show rainbow colours. They are not poisonous but squeeze

Common name : Banded sea krait Scientific name : Laticauda colubrina Family : Elapidae Native to : Eastern Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean Interesting fact : They have glands under the tongues that discard excess salt from the bodies. Conservation status : Least Concern With scales to move on land and lungs to breathe,

Common name : Sonoran desert toad Scientific name : Incilius alvarius Family : Bufonidae Native to : Sonoran desert of California and Arizona Interesting fact : The white wart at the corner of the mouth and those on the legs produce toxins that can paralyze predators. Conservation status : Least Concern The largest native toad

Scientific name : Uma inornata Family : Phrynosomatidae Native to : California Interesting fact : Their nostrils help them breathe under sand without inhaling any sand particles. Conservation status : Endangered With unique features like serrated eyelids, long scales near the ears to avoid sand, specialized nostrils and toes fringed with scales for swimming in

Common name : China alligator, Yangtze alligator Scientific name : Alligator sinensis Family : Alligatoridae Native to : China Interesting fact : Once the eggs hatch, the mother carries the baby alligators to the water and that marks the end of parenting. The babies are on their own after that. Conservation status : Critically Endangered

Common name : Northern Darwin’s frog Scientific name : Rhinoderma rufum Family : Rhinodermatidae Native to : Central Chile Interesting fact : These tadpoles develop in the vocal sac of the females and this type of parental care is called ‘mouth brooding’. Conservation status : Critically Endangered A fleshy tube-like projection on its snout distinguishes

Scientific name : Plethodon cheoah Family : Plethodontidae Native to : United States Conservation status : Vulnerable Hiding under leaf litter, logs and mossy rocks of Cheoah Bald, Graham and Swain counties of North Carolina are these shiny grey salamanders with red-orange blotches at the base of their legs and arms. Unsuspecting predators suffer the

Scientific name : Chamaeleonidae Family : Chamaeleonidae Native to : Africa, Asia and parts of Southern Europe Interesting fact : The tiniest pygmy chameleons are only 3 cm long. Conservation status : Many species of chameleons are considered threatened or endangered The chameleon has so much going on–from changing its body colour to shooting its