reptiles

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 21

Who’s ready to meet a ssssssnake for Reptilian Tuesday? Ssssssshhhh… this snake burrows underground so we need to be very quiet so we can observe this pretty reptile!

MEET THE RED TAILED PIPE SNAKE!

Range/Habitat: Southeast Asia/ wetlands, swamps

Diet: Carnivore: snakes, eels

Length: 28-39”

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

• Red tailed pipe snakes get their name from the red patch on the bottom of their tails.
• They raise their tails to mimic venomous snakes when threatened by predators.
• They have shiny black, almost iridescent bodies.
• Red tailed pipe snakes are excellent swimmers.
• Red tail pipe snakes burrow underground.
• They are constrictors and are non venomous.

Red tailed pipe snakes are small and beautiful snakes. Snakes are all so diverse in their size, coloration and habitat. They are all so important for their ecosystems too! Have you thanked a snake today? Do so from a distance J!

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 20

Happy 2012 everyone! We hope all our fans and supporters had a fabulous holiday! We’re back with loads of fun and fresh ideas! We’ll be celebrating animal holidays, coming up with crafts and having theme weeks once a month! We look forward to sharing all this fun, adventure and education with you! First up in 2012, a small turtle from Africa! Who wants to meet this cute little reptile? We do!

MEET THE AFRICAN HELMETED TURTLE!

Range/Habitat: Africa (South of Sahara)/ marshes, watering holes and rain pools

Diet: Omnivore: frogs, mollusks, invertebrates

Length: 6-7”

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

• African Helmeted Turtles have flat carapaces (top shells).
• They are very slow and sluggish, even for turtles.
• African helmeted turtles have glands that release a strong musky odor when they are threatened by predators.
• They are also called the marsh terrapin.
• African helmeted turtles aestivate during the dry season. Aestivation is a period of inactivity.

These tiny little turtles sure are neat, but be careful they can be a bit stinkyJ! But then again being stinky can be good, if it helps you keep predators away! Would you like to be stinky?

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 16

Well have we an odd reptile for you today! So we all know snakes have no legs right? And we all know lizards have 4 legs! But that last statement is not true! Yep folks, there are lizards out there with NO legs! What? Come meet this legless lizard!

MEET THE SLOW WORM!

Range/Habitat: Europe-Western Asia-Northern Africa/woodlands, yards

Diet: Carnivore: slugs, invertebrates

Length: 12-16”

Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

• Slow worms are not worms or snakes, they are lizards without legs.
• Slow worms are active at dawn and dusk.
• They have long life spans; they can live up to 50 years.
• Unlike snakes, slow worms have eyelids.
• Young slow worms have a metallic stripe that the females keep throughout their lives.
• They can lose their tails if caught by a predator, just like other kinds of lizards.
• Slow worms hibernate in the winter.

Slow worms are a funny lizard. They slither around like a snake, but they aren’t snakes! Crazy! They are considered to be very beneficial to have in a garden because they eat pests that can destroy crops! How helpful of them!

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 15

We’ve found another special reptile today! This snake could easily have been featured on Watery Wednesday too! Yep, we found a snake that calls the ocean its habitat! Neat! Come meet…

MEET THE BANDED SEA KRAIT!

Range/Habitat: Southern-South Eastern Asia/ tropical oceans-coral reefs

Diet: Carnivore: fish, eels

Length: 3 ¼-6 ½ ft

Conservation Status: Common

Fun Facts:

• Banded Sea Kraits are members of the sea snake families. They spend most of their lives in the ocean.
• Banded sea kraits are highly venomous. They are more deadly than most land snakes.
• They are not harmful to humans, because they have short fangs and are very docile.
• Banded sea kraits have paddle shaped tails that help them swim.
• They come on shore to lay their eggs.

Sea kraits are incredible snakes! Did you know there were snakes that lived in the ocean? We saw one while we snorkeling in Indonesia! It was awesome! If you could go snorkeling what animals would you like to see?

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 13

Welcome to Reptilian Tuesday! We have stumbled upon a fascinating lizard today! They get their name from a mammal who is known to roll up when threatened! It’s a pretty neat adaptation! Are you excited to meet this funny lizard? Come on and…

MEET THE ARMADILLO LIZARD!

Range/Habitat: Southern Africa/scrub-rocky outcrops

Diet: Carnivore: spiders, insects

Length: 6 ½-8 ½”

Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Fun Facts:

• Armadillo lizards are covered in hard plates and spines on their neck and tails.
• Armadillo lizards are named after armadillos, because of their special adaptation to protect themselves.
• Armadillo lizards grab their tails with their mouths and curl up into balls when threatened.
• They also hide in large cracks and crevices.
• They live in small family groups. Females feed their young, a trait you don’t normally see in lizards.
• Armadillo lizards hibernate in the winter.
• They can live up to 25 years in captivity.

Armadillo lizards are bizarre looking lizards with their spikes and bony plates! How cool is that they grab their tails and ball up to hide from predators? Neat! These lizards are popular as pets! If you decide to get a lizard as a pet, make sure to do your homework, they have special needs to keep them happy! Also make sure you get your lizard from a good breeder. These lizards numbers are dwindling in the wild because of the pet trade, so let’s keep them there.

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 13

Who loves reptiles? We do and we hope you do too! Today’s reptile isn’t what we could call cuddly though, but they are magnificent and beautiful! Are you ready to meet our reptile? Let’s do it!

MEET THE GABOON VIPER!

Range/Habitat: West-Central Africa/rainforests

Diet: Carnivore: birds, rodents and small mammals

Length/Weight: 4 ft- 6 ½ ft/ up to 18ft

Conservation Status: Common

Fun Facts:

• Gaboon vipers have thick bodies and are the heaviest snake in the viper family.
• They also have the longest fangs of all venomous snakes, up to 2” long!
• Gaboon vipers are known to be very docile and will only strike as a last resort. They are still best left alone.
• They have beautiful geometric patterns in brown, tan and gold. Their coloration and pattern are excellent at helping them camouflage.
• Gaboon vipers have large triangular heads and two tiny horns in-between their nostrils.
• They are nocturnal (active at night).

Gaboon vipers are spectacular with their beautiful patterns.  We’re happy to observe them from a distance since they have such big fangs with venom!