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, …

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 …

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 …

Python — The Pythonidae are a family of non-venomous snakes found in Africa, Asia and Australia. Among its members are some of the largest snakes in the world. Currently, 8 genera and 26 species are recognized. Adults range in size from 0.5 to 10 meters (1.5 to 33 feet) in length. One species, Python reticulatus, the reticulated python, holds the …

Pit Viper — The Crotalinae (Pit Viper) , or crotalines, are a subfamily of venomous vipers found in Asia and the Americas. They are distinguished by the presence of a heat-sensing pit organ located between the eye and the nostril on either side of the head. Currently, 18 genera and 151 species are recognized: 7 genera and 54 species in …

Night Lizard — Night lizards (family name Xantusiidae) are a group of very small, viviparous (live-bearing) lizards, averaging from less than 4 cm to over 12 cm long. It has only three genera, with approximately 23 living species. The genera are divided by geographic range: Xantusia in southwestern North America and Baja California, Cricosaura in Cuba, and Lepidophyma, the most …

Monitor — Monitor lizards are the family Varanidae, a group of carnivorous lizards which includes the largest living lizard, the Komodo Dragon. Varanidae contains only a single genus: Varanus. The various species of Varanus cover a vast area, occurring through Africa, the Asian subcontinent from India and Sri Lanka to China, down Southeast Asia to Indonesia, the Philippines, New Guinea, …

Mamba — Mambas, of the genus Dendroaspis, are fast-moving tree-dwelling snakes of Africa. (“Dendroaspis” is literally “tree snake”.) They belong to the family of Elapidae which includes cobras, coral snakes, kraits and, debatably, sea snakes, all of which can be extremely deadly. The black mamba is the largest venomous snake in Africa, with an extremely potent neurotoxic venom that attacks …

Leatherback Turtle — The leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the largest of all living turtles. It is the only living species in the genus Dermochelys. As a sea turtle, the leatherback is the largest and heaviest. It can easily be differentiated from other modern sea turtles by its lack of a shell. Instead, the carapace of the leatherback turtle is …