Zug’s Odd-scaled Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

Zug’s Odd-scaled Snake (Achalinus zugorum) is an elusive, subterranean serpent native to the karst forests of northern Vietnam. Formally described in 2020, this non-venomous burrower is celebrated for its remarkable iridescent dorsal scales that spread apart to...

Horned Flying Dragon

Reptiles > Lizards

The Horned Flying Dragon (Draco cornutus) is a remarkable arboreal gliding lizard endemic to the primary equatorial rainforests of Borneo. Celebrated for its prominent horn-like scales projecting above each eye and its brilliant, expandable wing-like patagia...

Borneo Earless Monitor

Reptiles > Monitors

The Borneo Earless Monitor (Lanthanotus bornensis) is one of the most enigmatic and evolutionarily singular reptiles on Earth. The sole surviving member of the ancient family Lanthanotidae, this semi-aquatic, burrowing ‘living fossil’ represents a sister...

Central Ranges Taipan

Reptiles > Snakes

The Central Ranges Taipan (Oxyuranus temporalis) is the newest member of the world’s most formidable venomous snake genus, discovered by field biologists in 2006 in the remote red heart of the Australian Outback. Joining the Coastal Taipan and the Inland Taipan,...

Limb-deprived Fine-lined Slider

Reptiles > Skinks

The Limb-deprived Fine-lined Slider (Lerista ameles) is an extraordinary fossorial skink endemic to the sun-scorched savanna woodlands and limestone country of northeastern Australia. Representing the pinnacle of evolutionary limb reduction, this miniature,...

Gulf Snapping Turtle

Reptiles > Turtles

The Gulf Snapping Turtle (Elseya lavarackorum), originally described from Pleistocene fossil deposits at Riversleigh before being discovered living in remote northern Australian rivers, is a massive, short-necked freshwater turtle in the family Chelidae. Inhabiting...

Christmas Island Blue-tailed Skink

Reptiles > Skinks

The Christmas Island Blue-tailed Skink (Cryptoblepharus egeriae) is an exquisitely colored, diurnal lizard endemic to Australia’s isolated Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. Renowned for its electric-blue iridescent tail and metallic striped body, this agile...

Yinnietharra Rock Dragon

Reptiles > Agamid Lizards

The Yinnietharra Rock Dragon (Ctenophorus yinnietharra) is a specialized rock-dwelling agamid lizard found exclusively on isolated granite and gneiss monoliths in the remote Gascoyne outback of Western Australia. Exhibiting extraordinary camouflage that mimics rough...

Bellinger River Snapping Turtle

Reptiles > Turtles

The Bellinger River Snapping Turtle (Myuchelys georgesi), also known as Georges’ Helmeted Turtle, is a distinct short-necked freshwater turtle confined entirely to a single small river system in coastal northeastern New South Wales. Possessing a sleek dark...

Collared Delma

Reptiles > Legless Lizards

The Collared Delma (Delma torquata) is an endearing, miniature legless lizard endemic to the woodlands and rocky ridges of southeastern and central Queensland. Belonging to the flap-footed lizard family (Pygopodidae), this non-venomous reptile has completely lost its...