Most African burrowing snakes live in the central and southern regions of Africa, known as sub-Saharan Africa, but a few make their homes in Israel or in Jordan. Just as their name suggests, this group of snakes likes to live in burrows, or tunnels, underground. They are especially fond of sandy soils. Some like the damp soil of lowland forests, but others can live quite well in the drier san…
Gharial populations are scattered here and there in India, Nepal, and Pakistan, and individuals are sometimes spotted in Bangladesh and Bhutan. Local people sometimes gather gharial eggs for food or hunt the males for the ghara, which they use to make potions. Some people fear gharials, but they do not attack or eat humans. This reptile does, however, hold a place in Hindu legends of a river …
Depending on the species, alligators and caimans may live in Central America, Mexico, the southeastern United States, South America, and/or eastern China. Alligators and caimans are freshwater species that prefer still or slow-moving water, even if it is muddy or murky. Besides lakes, rivers, and streams, they are often found in swamps, marshes, and roadside ditches. Seven of the eight specie…
Colubrid snakes occur almost everywhere in the world. The only places they do not live are Antarctica; the far northern reaches of Europe, Asia, and North America; and central and western Australia. …
At least one species of crocodiles lives in each of these continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and South America. People have long been fascinated by crocodiles, which are often mentioned in legends. Some people hunt these animals for their meat or skin, and some collect and eat their eggs. Crocodiles are perhaps most known, however, as killers of humans. Although death by croc…
The elapids live in Africa, Asia, Australia, the United States and Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Pacific and Indian Oceans. More than half of the venomous snake species in the world belong to this family, which includes cobras, mambas, coral snakes, land-living kraits, brown snakes, taipans (TY-pans), death adders, sea kraits, and sea snakes. Some of them are quite deadly to…
Tuataras have a small range, living on about 30 tiny and hard-to-reach islands off New Zealand's shore. The people of New Zealand hold the tuatara in high regard and consider them to be living treasures. Tuataras have also caught the eye of the science community. In the 1800s, for example, so many scientific institutions wanted their own tuataras to study that the local government in 1…
Besides the Arctic, Antarctic, and other very cold places, squamates live almost the world over. For the most part, squamates either freeze or flee when humans approach. If a person comes too close, however, many will bite. Fortunately, most species are not venomous, and the bite only serves to surprise the person rather than hurt him or her. Some snakes, and two species of lizards, are venom…
Agamids are found in Europe and Africa and throughout Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines. They also inhabit New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Australia. Agamids prefer to live in sandy and rocky deserts. They also may be found in dry forest habitats and dry scrub areas, which are flat areas with small bushes. Flying lizards are found in rainforests, areas with a great …
Chameleons are found mainly in Madagascar and Africa, and a few species live in southern Europe, Asia, the Seychelles and the Comoros. No chameleons are native to the Americas, which means that all of them were brought into the Americas. One species is now found there in the wild. Chameleons live in a variety of habitats, such as dry deserts; tropical, rainy woodlands of evergreens; forests w…
Iguanid lizards are found in North America, Central America, South America, Fiji, the Galápagos Islands, Madagascar, and the West Indies. Iguanids live in a variety of habitats. They usually are terrestrial, living on land. A few are arboreal, living in trees. Many prefer arid, or dry, areas. These desert dwellers often seek territories, or home areas, with at least some vegetation, ro…
Nearly all geckos eat insects and spiders. A few larger species eat small snakes, small lizards, and baby birds. In some habitats, geckos also eat plant pollen and ripe fruit. Smaller pygopods are insect eaters, and larger ones eat snakes and lizards. The conservation status of most species is unknown. Because of illegal pet trade collection, the World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists one brig…
The majority of blindskink species are found in eastern India; southern Thailand; Borneo; Vietnam; Laos; Kampuchea; the Nicobar, Sunda, and Andaman Islands; southern China; Sumatra; Malaysia; most of Indonesia; the Philippines; and westernmost New Guinea. A single species is found in a very small area of northeastern Mexico. Blindskinks do not interact with people. Few people ever see them. B…
Wormlizards stay out of sight most of the time, either remaining in their burrows or beneath rocks or leaf litter on the ground. Some of them make themselves at home in the nests of ants or termites, possibly even laying their eggs or having their young there. They will come out on the surface after particularly heavy rains that flood their underground homes. Wormlizards and people rarely run…
The three species of mole-limbed wormlizard, or ajolote (ah-joe-LOW-tay) as they are often called, live in western Mexico. Depending on the species, they may make their homes in Baja California, Guerro, or Michoacán. People rarely see these animals. Occasionally, a person may turn over a rock or log and see a mole-limbed wormlizard for a few seconds until it quickly slinks back into it…
People rarely see these shy animals, but they may get some benefits from the wormlizards. If they eat ants, termites, and beetle grubs, the wormlizards may be helping to rid gardens and parks of some of humankind's pests. This species is not considered endangered or threatened. …
They live in northern Africa, in eastern Somalia, and in the Middle East from western Iran to the island of Socotra, which lies east of Somalia and south of Saudi Arabia. Spade-headed wormlizards tunnel in loose soils, which may be sandy or loamy. A loamy soil is one that is not quite as grainy as sand but still is quite loose. Although people rarely see these wormlizards, they may be helpful…
Night lizards live in the United States, Cuba, and Mexico, as well as in Central America as far south as Panama. Although some people believe they are venomous, night lizards are not. They are harmless to humans. …
Wall and rock lizards live in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the East Indies. Wall and rock lizards are very common in dry areas, such as deserts, but some species make their homes in forests or in very cold areas, such as grasslands high up in the mountains or in far northern lands inside the Arctic Circle. They are also found on some Atlantic Ocean islands, including the Canaries off northern Af…
Microteiids live in southern Mexico, in Central America, on the Caribbean islands, and throughout much of South America, where they reach as far south as north-central Argentina. The microteiids live in tropical forests, often by water. They usually stay out of sight under piles of leaves, beneath logs, or in other hiding places and will often dive into the water to escape predators (PREH-duh…
Species of this family live only in the Western Hemisphere, from the United States south through Mexico and Central America to South America. Some species also make their homes on many islands of the Caribbean. Some people hunt these lizards for their meat, fat, and/or skin, and others capture them for the pet trade. …
These lizards live in southern Africa and in Madagascar. The flat and girdle-tailed lizards, along with many plated lizards, typically make their homes in rocky, dry areas, although some girdle-tailed lizards live in forests where they hide under tree bark or in tunnels. Grass lizards live in grasslands, and plated lizards prefer more shrubby habitats. One species of plated lizard even surviv…
They live on land almost around the world, except for many islands in the ocean and very cold places, such as Antarctica and high up in mountains. Most species enjoy insects. Some are rather picky eaters and prefer to eat one kind of insect. Some of the underground-living, legless skinks, for example, eat mostly termites. A few species of skinks, including bobtails and sandfish, mix some flow…
These lizards live in North, Central, and South America, Europe, and Asia. They also make their homes on many islands of the West Indies. One species, the Moroccan glass lizard, lives in northern Africa. Most of these lizards live on land and on the ground's surface, but they often remain in leaf piles, under stones, or in some other hiding spot. A few make their homes underground, and…
Knob-scaled lizards live in typically small populations widely scattered from the Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico on the Gulf of Mexico south to the middle of Guatemala in Central America. Although scientists still know little about these species or their overall population sizes, they are not considered endangered or threatened. …
They live in North and Central America from the southwestern United States to northwestern Mexico, in Guatemala, and also in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico. Gila monsters and beaded lizards stay in deserts usually, although some make their homes in dry grassland, in shrubby forests on hillsides, or in nearby areas that have boulders or burrows where they can hide. The World Conservat…
Australia is home to about one-half of the known species. Members of this family also live in Africa; central to southern mainland Asia; Southeast Asia, especially the Malaysian and Indonesian islands; and Papua, New Guinea. These lizards live in many different habitats from dry deserts and grasslands, to lush forests and swamps. Some rarely if ever leave the land, and others rarely leave the…
At least two species eat ant eggs, as well as ant larvae (LAR-vee) and pupae (PEW-pee), which are the life stages between the egg and the adult ant. Scientists suspect that other early blind snakes also eat ants and possibly other insects, but they have not studied them in enough detail to say for sure. Early blind snakes and people rarely encounter one another. These species are not listed a…
Slender blind snakes live in South, Central, and North America, as well as Africa and southwest Asia. North American species live in Mexico and the southwestern United States. Certain species also live on the island of Socotra in the northwestern Indian Ocean, in the West Indies, and on islands off the coast of Africa, Mexico, and Central America. These snakes and humans rarely encounter one …
Turtles and tortoises live on all continents except Antarctica. Depending on the species, turtles and tortoises can live on land, in fresh water, in the ocean, and along the coast. They live on many of the larger islands of the oceans and on every continent of the world except Antarctica. Some species of turtles and tortoises are almost completely vegetarian, some eat almost nothing but meat,…
BLACKISH BLIND SNAKE (Ramphotyphlops nigrescens): SPECIES ACCOUNT Many African and Asian cultures mention blind snakes in their legends and folklore. The World Conservation Union (IUCN) lists the Mona Island blind snake as Endangered, which means it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. It also lists the Christmas Island blind snake as Vulnerable, which means it faces a high risk …
False blind snakes are found in Borneo, the Malaysian Peninsula, and Sumatra. False blind snakes probably live in loose soil or under leaves, but this is uncertain. Only a few individuals have been found, and these have been spread out in such a way that some scientists now think that the two species are really just different populations of one species, while others believe that the snakes sh…
These turtles range across New Guinea, Australia, Indonesia, and South America. The Australo-American side-necked turtle typically lives in freshwater lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams that are always filled with water, but they spend part of their time in wetlands or flooded forests that are wet for just a short period of time each year. Only one species, the New Guinea snake-necked turtle, …
Shieldtail snakes live in southern India and in Sri Lanka or Ceylon, which is located off India's southern coast. These snakes and people rarely encounter each other. These species are not listed as endangered or threatened, but scientists know little about the size of the snakes' populations. …
Seaturtles inhabit all the oceans of the world and the Mediterranean Sea. These turtles live in saltwater from the tropics to areas with mild climates well north and south of the equator, the imaginary circle around Earth that is midway between the poles. They are more common close to shore than far out to sea, and they feed and nest at sites along the coastlines on continental shelves, or sh…
RED-TAILED PIPE SNAKE (Cylindrophis ruffus): SPECIES ACCOUNT Pipe snakes live in Indonesia, including Borneo, Sumatra, and Aru Island west of New Guinea; Sri Lanka or Ceylon off the coast of southern India; and southern China. They also exist in much of Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Pipe snakes tend to live in low-lying forests near a water source a…
This snake spends much of its time in burrows in loose soil. It lives in rainforests, especially in low-lying areas near streams or other waterways. The false coral snake is a nonpoisonous snake and usually stays underground during the daytime. (Illustration by Jonathan Higgins. Reproduced by permission.) False coral snakes eat long and narrow vertebrates (VER-teh-brehts), which are an…
Snapping turtles live in North America, Central America, and South America, from southern Canada to Ecuador. These turtles mainly live in permanent water bodies, ones that are filled with water all year long. Some are able to survive in somewhat salty waters, but they typically prefer freshwater. Although they spend the majority of their time in the water, they will travel quite a distance ov…
Central American river turtles live in Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. Although some of them may wander into somewhat salty water, Central American river turtles live mainly in freshwater, such as rivers and large lakes. The turtles live in the lowlands of southern Mexico near the Gulf of Mexico. They also live in Belize and northern Guatemala, and possibly in Honduras. Central American river …
Sunbeam snakes live in southern China and Southeast Asia from the Nicobar and Andaman islands west of Thailand to the Philippines and south through much of Indonesia. Sunbeam snakes spend at least part of their time underground, hidden in leaves or under trash. They live in humid forests, as well as rice paddies, farm fields, parks, and gardens next to the woods. People rarely see them deep i…
This snake lives from southwestern Mexico through much of Central America, including Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and northwestern Costa Rica. Neotropical sunbeam snakes live in warm climates and a variety of forested areas, but not in the mountains. They also sometimes make their home along the beaches of the coastline. They are secretive animals that hide among rocks and lea…
This species lives in oceans around the world. Because this turtle is found in so many areas of the world, it has many names. In Trinidad, for example, people call it caldon, while in the Caribbean and Latin America the turtle is known as canal. This familiarity can pose a problem, however. Although it is illegal in most countries, some people continue to raid the turtles' nests for th…
Members of this family live in North and South America, Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa. New World pond turtles may live in tropical areas, where it feels like summer all year, or in cooler areas that have all four seasons, including winter. These cooler areas are known as "temperate climates." Many turtles spend almost their entire lives in or near ponds, lakes, and o…
Boas live in many places around the world, including South America, Central America, North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. They are also present in New Guinea and on many islands throughout their range. From fields to forests and marshes to deserts, boas live in many different habitats. Some of the sand boas make their homes in deserts, while others, like the viper boas, live in wet forest…
These turtles live in Eurasia, North Africa, Mexico, and Central and South America. The members of this family live in the saltwater of the ocean's coastline, in inland freshwater areas, or on land in forests. They typically are found in the tropical areas of many countries, including China and the nations of the East Indies and Europe. They live from northern Mexico in North America t…
Members of the American mud and musk turtle family live in North and South America. American mud and musk turtles are freshwater species. Most live in still or slow-moving waters and prefer lakes and ponds that are filled with water all year long. A few make their homes in shallow, seasonal ponds, which have water only a few months a year, usually during the spring season. American mud and mu…
Pythons are found in southern Asia; southeastern China and Southeast Asia; the Philippines; Papua, New Guinea, and Indonesia; and Australia. They also live in the central and southern region of Africa, which is known as Sub-Saharan Africa. Depending on the species, pythons may live in thick forests, open forests, rainforests, rocky and scrubby areas high on hillsides, deserts, grasslands, swa…
African side-necked turtles live in Africa, Madagascar, and the Seychelles Islands, which are northeast of Madagascar. These turtles often are seen in freshwater lakes and rivers that hold water all year long, but they also are found in temporary freshwater ponds, which lose their water during the dry season. Some side-necked turtles, including those that are called "mud turtles,…
The big-headed turtle lives in China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. The big-headed turtle is rare and has been found only in small mountain streams from southern China to Thailand and southern Myanmar. These turtles appear to be very particular about the type of stream, living only in rock-bottomed, cool waters and only in mountainous regions up to 6,600 feet (2,000 meters). Some peop…
SOUTHERN BROMELIAD WOODSNAKE (Ungaliophis panamensis): SPECIES ACCOUNT They are found from Brazil to Mexico and in the West Indies. Some species are found in both Malaysia and Borneo. Different members of this family may prefer dry and open, shrubby forests; rainforests; the rocky sides of hills, as well as cliffs; farm fields; and even caves. Usually, they try to find a spot within the habit…
Afro-American river turtles are found in Madagascar and northern South America. Many of these freshwater turtles live on riverbanks and in large lakes, but some also live in streams and swamps, wetlands partly covered with water. Sometimes they move into flooded forests. Their range, or the area in which they live and feed, includes Madagascar, which lies off the eastern coast of southern Afr…
The file snakes live from India to Southeast Asia and Australia. They inhabit northern Australia, the Solomon Islands east of New Guinea, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Some people collect file snakes as food and for their skin, which is used for leather. Since the snake reproduces only once every two years, or even less often, such collecting over the years could lead to dangerous drops in the num…
Tortoises exist on all large islands and continents, except Australia and Antarctica. Tortoises live in many habitats, including deserts, grasslands, shrubby areas, and forests. Most live in warmer climates in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, and many make their homes on large islands in the ocean. The tortoises are mainly plant-eaters, eating everything from grasses, flower…
Members of this family live in North America, Africa, and Asia. Most of these turtles are almost completely meat-eaters, and they eat anything they happen to come across, whether it is alive or dead. Once in a while, they will eat plants. A few species hunt by ambush, which means that the softshell turtle waits in hiding underwater — usually buried just under the bottom — for a …
Vipers and pitvipers are found in North, Central, and South America and in Africa, Europe, and Asia. …
Crocodilians, which are sometimes hunted for their meat or skin, are perhaps best known as human killers. Death by this reptile, however, is very rare among people who act carefully and responsibly when they are in crocodilian habitat. As people move closer and closer to their habitat, crocodilians may make their presence known by plopping into a swimming pool or eating a family pet. Accordin…
