Reptiles Encyclopedia

Tortoise — Tortoises or land turtles are land-dwelling reptiles of the family of Testudinidae, order Testudines. Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and …

Snapping Turtle — The Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina), more formally referred to as the Common Snapping Turtle when properly distinguished from its larger cousin the Alligator Snapping Turtle, is a large freshwater turtle of the family Chelydridae, and ranges from southeastern Canada south, west to the Rocky Mountains (and beyond, where introduced), throughout Mexico, and as far south as Ecuador. …

Krait — Kraits are found in the Indian subcontinent (including Sri Lanka and eastern Pakistan) and southeast Asia (including Indonesia and Borneo). Kraits usually range between 1 to 1.5 m in length, although specimens as large as 2 m have been observed. The Banded Krait (B. fasciatus) may grow as large as 2.5 m. Most species of krait are covered …

Komodo Dragon — The Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis), also known as the Komodo Monitor, Komodo Island Monitor, Ora (to the natives of Komodo), or simply Komodo, is a species of lizard which inhabits the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Flores, Gili Motang, and Gili Dasami in central Indonesia. A member of the monitor lizard family Varanidae, and the clade Toxicofera, the …

Kingsnake — Kingsnakes are a type of colubrid snake that are members of the Lampropeltis genus, which also includes the milk snake. Lampropeltis means “shiny shield” (“small shield”), due to their dorsal scales. The majority of kingsnakes have quite vibrant patterns on their skin. Kingsnakes use constriction to kill their prey and tend to be opportunistic when it comes to …

Gavial — The gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), sometimes called the Indian gharial or gavial, is one of two surviving members of the family Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodile-like reptiles with long, narrow jaws. The gharial is the second-longest of all living crocodilians: a large male can approach 6 meters in length. Northern Indian subcontinent: Bhutan (almost extinct), Bangladesh (close to …

Girdle-tailed Lizard — Cordylidae is a family of mid-sized lizards that inhabits Madagascar and eastern Africa. The family is mostly terrestrial and insectivorous. They have rows of plated or spiny scales which cover their body. They are commonly known as the Spinytail lizards or Girdletailed lizards. Their name is derived from the rings of spiny scales that encircle the tail, …

Iguana — The Iguana is a large, arboreal herbivorous species of lizard of the genus iguana native to Central and South America. The Green iguana ranges over a large geographic area, from southern Brazil and Paraguay to as far north as Mexico, the Caribbean Islands; and in the United States as feral populations in Florida, Hawaii and the Rio Grande …

Gila Monster — The Gila Monster, Heloderma suspectum, is a species of venomous lizard native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. It is a heavy, slow moving lizard, up to 60 cm (2 feet) long, and is the most venomous lizard native to the USA. Its skin has the appearance of black, pink, orange, and yellow beads, laid …

Garter Snake — A garter snake is any species of North American snake within the genus Thamnophis. Because of the similarity in sound of the words, combined with where people often see them, they are sometimes called garden snakes or gardner snakes. They are not venomous. Garter snakes are common across North America, from Canada to Central America. They are …