Saint Lucia Racer

Reptiles > Snakes

The Saint Lucia Racer (Erythrolamprus ornatus), widely recognized by herpetologists as the rarest snake on planet Earth, is an elegant, non-venomous colubrid serpent native to the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia. Adorned with a warm amber-brown dorsal ground color,...

Rosy Boa

Reptiles > Boas

The Round Island Boa (Casarea dussumieri), also known as the Round Island keel-scaled boa, is an extraordinary, evolutionarily unique serpent found nowhere else on Earth except on a tiny uninhabited volcanic island off the coast of Mauritius. It is the sole surviving...

Burmese Star Tortoise

Reptiles > Tortoises

The Plowshare Tortoise (Astrochelys yniphora), known locally as the ‘Angonoka,’ is widely regarded as the rarest and most beautiful tortoise species on planet Earth. Endemic to a minuscule tract of dry deciduous forest around Baly Bay in northwestern...

Arafura File Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

The Arafura File Snake (Acrochordus arafurae), also widely known in Australia as the Wart Snake or Elephant Trunk Snake, is one of the most remarkable, primitive, and completely aquatic serpents on Earth. Belonging to the ancient family Acrochordidae, this...

Pacific Coast Giant Musk Turtle

Reptiles > Turtles & Tortoises

The Pacific Coast Giant Musk Turtle (Staurotypus salvinii), also known as the Pacific Giant Staurotypus or Salvin’s Musk Turtle, is a formidable, prehistoric-looking freshwater reptile in the family Kinosternidae. Inhabiting the tropical lowland waters of the...

Sunbeam Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

The Sunbeam Snake (Xenopeltis unicolor) is one of the most visually dazzling, ancient, and primitive serpents in the reptile kingdom. Sole member of the family Xenopeltidae alongside a rare congener, this docile, non-venomous burrower is native to the humid lowlands...

Gidgee Skink

Reptiles > Lizards

The Gidgee Skink (Egernia stokesii), also commonly known as Stokes’s Skink or the Spiny-tailed Skink, is a remarkable, heavily armored social lizard native to the harsh arid interior of Australia. Named after its affinity for sheltering inside fallen hollow logs...

Asian Vine Snake

Reptiles > Snakes

The Asian Vine Snake (Ahaetulla prasina), also widely known as the Oriental Whip Snake or Gunpowder Snake, is one of the most exquisitely graceful, slender, and specialized arboreal serpents in the tropical forests of Asia. Belonging to the family Colubridae, this...

Mexican Spiny-tailed Iguana

Reptiles > Lizards

The Mexican Spiny-tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura pectinata), locally known in Mexico as the ‘Garrobo’ or ‘Iguana Negra,’ is a powerful, heavily armored arboreal and rock-dwelling lizard native to the tropical dry forests of western Mexico. Belonging...

Sudan Plated Lizard

Reptiles > Lizards

The Sudan Plated Lizard (Gerrhosaurus major), also known as the Western Plated Lizard or Great Plated Lizard, is a robust, heavily armored diurnal reptile native to the sun-drenched savannas and rocky bushlands of East Africa. Belonging to the family Gerrhosauridae,...