The Aldabra Giant Tortoise (Aldabrachelys gigantea) is a large reptile, a chelonian, from the remote Aldabra Atoll in the Seychelles islands in the Indian Ocean.
The Aldabra Giant Tortoise has a grey-brown dome-shaped carapace (shell). It has a very long neck, and dark eyes. Its legs are short and stumpy, with flat feet – it is a slow mover.
What is an albino crocodile?
A Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) has grey scales and green or hazel eyes. An albino Nile Crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) is a white crocodile with pink eyes.
Continue reading “What is the difference between a Nile Crocodile and an albino Nile Crocodile?”
The Bell’s Hinge-Back Tortoise (Kinixys belliana)is a reptile – it is medium-sized African chelonian.
The Bell’s Tortoise is a light brown colour. It has a hinge on the back of its top shell (carapace). It has a 90-degree hinge, which protects its back legs and tail. The hinge is a broad band of flexible connective tissue. The shell is slightly domed and elongated. It has five claws on each front foot.
Is an alligator a crocodilian?
Yes, the American Alligator is a crocodilian.
How does an alligator and a crocodile breathe?
Alligators and crocodiles cannot breathe underwater.
They have nostrils on top of their snouts so that they can breathe when they are on the surface of the water with most of their head submerged (their eyes and nostrils can be seen).
Continue reading “How does an alligator and a crocodile breathe?”
The Pueblan Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum campbelli) is also known as the Campbell’s Milk Snake. It is a non-venomous colubrid species of the king snake.
The Pueblan Milk Snake has three colours in alternating bands across its body: red, black, and white. The white bands are wide, and each scale has a black tip. The red bands have no black tips.
The Speckled Green Snake (Philothamnus punctatus) is a large non-venomous colubrid African snake.
The Speckled Green Snake is slim and green or blue with black speckles. It has raised ‘eyebrows’ and distinctive huge round eyes. It has a light cream-coloured or pale-yellow belly.
The African Helmeted Terrapin (Pelomedusa subrufa) is also known as the Marsh Terrapin, the Crocodile Terrapin, or the African Side-Necked Terrapin. It is a semi-aquatic reptile from Africa, like tortoises and turtles – a chelonian.
The African Helmeted Terrapin looks like a helmet. Instead of its neck sticking in and out, it has a side-necked position where it places its head sideways in its shell. It black or brown shell (carapace) is slightly domed. Its tail and legs are grey-brown, and its underbelly is yellowish. The male has a long thick tail. The female has a shorter tail.
The Yellow Anaconda (Eunectes notaeus) is also known as the Paraguayan Anaconda, a large non-venomous boa snake from South America. It is one of the largest snakes in the world. It is a reptile.
The Yellow Anaconda a thick-bodied snake. It is yellow and golden-brown with a series of black or dark-brown saddles, blotches, spots, and streaks.
The Rufous Beaked Snake (Rhamphiophis oxyrhynchus) is a large, mildly venomous colubrid snake from East Africa. It is a reptile. A colubrid snake has fangs in the rear of their upper jaw.
The Rufous Beaked Snake has a hooked snout (nose), which can dig holes. It has brown-black scales. Its underbelly is cream or yellowish-white. Its head is distinct from its body. It has a dark brown-black eye stripe on the side of its head. Its eyes are large and round.
The Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) is also known as the American Iguana, or just Iguana. It is a large arboreal lizard, native to Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. It is a reptile.
The Green Iguana is not always green. It can be various colours, such as blue, purplish, and pinkish. It is a strong, stout-bodied lizard, with a row of spines on its back and tail to protect itself from predators. Its tail can be ‘dropped’ to allow it to escape danger. The tail can be regenerated (re-grown).
The Eastern Stripe-Bellied Sand Snake (Psammophis orientalis) is a venomous African snake.
The Eastern Stripe-Bellied Sand Snake is long and slender, with a flat head and large eyes. It is chocolate brown with stripes down the length of its body, and a yellow underbelly.
The Kenya Sand Boa (Eryx colubrinus) is a non-venomous African snake. It is also called the East African Sand Boa because it is found in Somalia, Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, and northern Tanzania.
The Kenya Sand Boa is a short, thick snake with a short head. It is light orange-brown with dark-brown blotches all along its body. It has a cream-white underbelly.
The Jameson’s Mamba (Dendroaspis jamesoni) is a venomous central African snake. It is an elapid snake, with poisonous fangs.
The Jameson’s Mamba is long with smooth dark and pale green scales, with a narrow, black tail. Its underbelly is light yellow-green. Its head is narrow with a small black eye.
The Rhinoceros Iguana (Cyclura cornuta) is a large reptile – it is a lizard.
The Rhinoceros Iguana is grey-brown or grey-green. It has a bony horn-like lump on its nose, which looks like a rhinoceros horn. It has a crest of pointed scales from the nape of its neck to to the tip of its long tail. It has blue eyes.
The Rough Scaled Python (Morelia carinata) is a large Australian snake. It is one of Australia’s rarest snakes.
The Rough Scaled Python is slim with large dry-looking scales. It is light-brown and medium-brown with darker red-brown marks. Its belly is white.
Why do some snakes have a blue spot or a blue eye?
When snakes shed their skin, it is called ‘Blue’ because there is often a blue spot or blue eye.
Snakes shed their skin as they grow larger. This is called ecdysis.
Snakes produce a mucous (sticky liquid) when they shed their skin, which helps separate the old skin from the new skin. The mucous often enters their eye scale, turning it blue.
Continue reading “Why do some snakes have a blue spot or a blue eye?”
The Gippsland Water Dragon (Intellagama lesueurii howittii) is an arboreal eastern Australian agamid lizard. It is a reptile.
The Gippsland Water Dragon is a brown-green-grey lizard with a row of spikes at the base of its head (called a nuchal crest). Its throat has yellow, orange, or blue blotches. It has black bands across its back, tail, and legs. It has long legs and claws, which are good for climbing trees, and a long, muscular tail, which is good for swimming. It can change colour to camouflage itself in its environment. It has brown eyes.
The Red-Spotted Beaked Snake (Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus) is a snake from east Africa.
The Red-Spotted Beaked Snake is a light olive-brown snake with a distinct orange-red head. Its eyes are black.
The Mexican Green Rattler (Crotalus basiliscus) is a venomous (poisonous) pit viper, native to western Mexico. It is a snake, and a reptile.
The Mexican Green Rattler has a plump body with brown or grey scales. Its scales are diamond (rhombus) shaped with light edges. Its underbelly is creamy-white. It has a large, distinct grey-brown head. Its tail is dark grey with few markings. On the tip of the tail is its cream-coloured rattle.