Avocet — The four species of Avocets are a genus, Recurvirostra, of waders in the same avian family as the stilts. Avocets have long legs and long, thin, upcurved bills (giving their scientific name Recurvirostra) which they sweep from side to side when feeding in the brackish or saline wetlands they prefer. The plumage is pied, sometimes also with some …

Auklet — An auk is a bird of the family Alcidae in the order Charadriiformes. Auks are superficially similar to penguins due to their black-and-white colours, their upright posture and some of their habits. Nevertheless they are not closely related to penguins, but rather are believed to be an example of moderate convergent evolution. Unlike penguins, modern auks can fly …

Sea Turtle — Sea turtles (Superfamily Chelonioidea) are turtles found in all the world’s oceans except the Arctic Ocean .There are seven living species of sea turtles: flatback, green, hawksbill, Kemp’s Ridley, leatherback, loggerhead and olive ridley. The East Pacific subpopulation of the green turtle has been classified as a separate species in the past as the black turtle. However, …

Sidewinder — Crotalus (Sidewinder) cerastes is a venomous pitviper species found in the desert regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Three subspecies are currently recognized, including the typical form described here. A small species, with adult specimens measuring between 43 cm and 76 cm in length. According to Campbell and Lamar (2004), most adults are 50-80 cm …

Skink — Skinks are the most diverse group of lizards. They make up the family Scincidae which shares the superfamily or infraorder Scincomorpha with several other lizard families, including Lacertidae (the “true” or wall lizards). Scincidae is the largest of the lizard families with about 1,200 species. Skinks look roughly like true lizards, but most species have no pronounced neck …

Sea Snake — Sea snakes, or “seasnakes”, are venomous elapid snakes which inhabit marine environments for most or all of their lives. Though they evolved from terrestrial ancestors, and some such as Laticauda sp. retain ancestral characteristics which allow limited movement on land, most are extensively adapted to a fully aquatic life and are unable to even move on land. …

Sawback Turtle — Graptemys is a genus of turtles known commonly as map turtles or sometimes sawback turtles. They are aquatic, freshwater basking turtles that are found throughout the eastern half United States and into southern Canada. They superficially resemble many other species of aquatic turtle, including sliders (genus Trachemys) and cooters (genus Pseudemys), but are distinguished by a keel …

Rattlesnake — Rattlesnakes are a group of venomous snakes, genera Crotalus and Sistrurus. They belong to the class of venomous snakes known commonly as pit vipers. There are approximately fifty species of rattlesnake, with numerous subspecies. They receive their name for the rattle located at the tip of their tails. The rattle is used as a warning device when threatened. …

Ridley Turtle — Two species of sea turtles in the family Cheloniidae are called ridley turtles. Both may attain a length of about 700 mm (27.5 in) and commonly weigh between 30 and 36 kg (65 and 80 lb). The Indo-Pacific ridley, Lepidochelys olivacea, occurs in parts of the Indian, the Pacific, and possibly the Atlantic oceans. It is almost …

Mud Turtle — Mud turtle is the common name given to two genera of aquatic turtles: Kinosternon, mud turtles found in North and South America, and Pelusios, mud turtles found in Africa. Some species are kept as pets. Mud turtles are known for their dull shell colors and relation to the smelly musk turtles. African and American mud turtles are …