Cape Cobra

Reptiles > Snakes

The Cape Cobra (Naja nivea), celebrated throughout southern Africa as the ‘Koperkapel’ (Copper Cobra) or ‘Geelslang’ (Yellow Snake), is one of the most formidable, beautiful, and dangerously venomous elapids on the African continent. Possessing...

Crocodile Monitor

Reptiles > Lizards and Geckos

The Crocodile Monitor (Varanus salvadorii), known locally in New Guinea as the ‘Artellia’, is an awe-inspiring, arboreal apex predator and the longest lizard in the world. Capable of exceeding ten feet in total length—with an astonishing, whip-like tail...

Arrau Turtle

Reptiles > Turtles and Tortoises

The Arrau Turtle (Podocnemis expansa), revered across the Amazon and Orinoco basins as the South American River Turtle or Giant Amazon River Turtle, is the largest freshwater turtle in the Americas and the second-largest in the world. Reaching shell lengths of over a...

Williams’ Dwarf Gecko

Reptiles > Lizards and Geckos

Williams’ Dwarf Gecko (Lygodactylus williamsi), celebrated worldwide as the ‘Electric Blue Gecko’ or ‘Turquoise Dwarf Gecko’, is one of the most vividly colored lizards on the planet. Discovered in the 1950s in the lowland karst forests...

Sonoran Desert Tortoise

Reptiles > Tortoises

The Sonoran Desert Tortoise (Gopherus morafkai) is an iconic, armored keystone herbivore that reigns over the rugged, boulder-strewn foothills of the Sonoran Desert. Genetically distinct from the Mojave desert tortoise, this tough, ancient survivor makes its home...