encyclopedia

Common name : Flatbread snake Scientific name : Oxybelis fulgidus Family : Colubridae Native to : Central America and Northern South America Interesting fact : It follows the prey to a distance, bites its head and lifts it off the ground to render it helpless. Conservation status : Not Assessed This brilliant green snake is

Common name : Common Iguana Scientific name : Iguana iguana Family : Iguanidae Native to : Central and South America and the Caribbean Island Interesting fact : Good at climbing, they can fall from 50 feet height without hurting themselves. Conservation status : Listed on Appendix II of CITES as they are popular as pets

Common name : Carolina anole, American anole, Red-throated anole Scientific name : Anolis carolinensis Family : Dactyloidae Native to : South-Eastern United States and a few Caribbean Islands Interesting fact : It is sometimes referred to as the American chameleon as it can change colour from various shades of brown to bright green. Conservation status

Common name : Thorny tree frog Scientific name : Gracixalus lumarius Family : Rhacophoridae Native to : Vietnam Interesting fact : The spikes on the back of a male become larger during the mating season. Conservation status : Not Assessed The thorny tree frog is a newly discovered species. It is yellow with a pink

Scientific name : Gopherus polyphemus Family : Testudinidae Native to : South-Eastern United States Interesting fact : It is the official reptile of Georgia and official tortoise of Florida. Conservation status : Vulnerable Many other animals depend on these tortoises that dig burrows and hence are called ‘keystone’ species. Their forefeet are scaled to adapt

Common name : Pacific gopher snake, Coast gopher snake, Western gopher snake Scientific name : Pituophis catenifer catenifer Family : Colubridae Native to : North America Interesting fact : When threatened, it puffs up its body and curls like a pit viper attempting to strike, but it strikes with a closed mouth. Conservation status :

Scientific name : Phyllobates vittatus Family : Dendrobatidae Native to : Costa Rica Conservation status : Endangered With a shimmery black body and mottled blue legs, this poison frog is a visual treat but the colours serve as a warning to its predators of its  toxin. Their diet containing melyrid beetles is atributed to its

Common name : Monte Verde toad Scientific name : Incilius periglenes Family : Bufonidae Native to : Monte Verde, Coasta Rica Conservation status : Extinct Males were shiny and golden orange while females were olive with yellow rimmed red blotches. Females laid about 200 to 400 eggs at a time in temporary pools formed after

Scientific name : Mantella aurantiaca Family : Mantellidae Native to : Central Eastern Madagascar Interesting fact : They are the smallest of the mantella species and will attempt to eat anything even if it is repulsive. Conservation status : Critically Endangered Aptly named, the golden mantella is a vivid yellow, orange or red with black

Common name : Monitor lizard Scientific name : Varanus sp. Family : Varanidae Native to : Australia and some parts of South-East Asia Interesting fact : Like snakes, goannas can flick their tongues in the air to sense their prey. Conservation status : Least Concern With about 30 species, goannas are found in a variety

Scientific name : Heloderma suspectum Family : Helodermatidae Native to : United states Interesting fact : The venom of the gila monster has been approved by the FDA to be used in a drug to treat type 2 diabetes. Conservation status : Near Threatened The gila monster is one of two species of venomous lizards.

Scientific name : Thamnophis gigas Family : Colubridae Native to : Western United States Conservation status : Vulnerable It is the largest of the garter snakes. It loves slow-moving water bodies and you can hardly find them out of water. Its olive brown body has two typical yellow stripes. They eat fish and frogs and

Scientific name : Thamnophis Family : Colubridae Native to : North America Interesting fact : The official reptile of Massachusetts, United States Conservation status : Least Concern The most common snake in North America is the garter snake with 28 different species. They are active in the day and prey upon insects, frogs, fish and

Common name : Mole salamander Scientific name : Ambystoma cingulatum Family : Ambystomatidae Native to : South-Eastern coastal plains of United States Conservation status : Vulnerable The frosted flatwoods salamander definitely looks frosted with silvery net-like patterns on a dark body. They are long, slender, and possess gills. They are specifically found only near cypress