Reptiles Animal Notebook

Armenian viper - Montivipera raddei raddei This species typically lives at high elevations from 4,000 – 10,000 ft in dry, sparsely vegetated rocky slopes.	Aruba Island rattlesnake - Crotalus durissus They have a heat-sensory pit located between the nostrils and the eyes which is used to locate prey or predators.	Chinese crocodile lizard - Shinisaurus crocodilurus Similar to a crocodile, this lizard has a powerful tail that enables it to swim in its semi-aquatic habitat.	Dwarf caiman - Paleosuchus palpebrosus This is the smallest living member of the crocodilian family, with adults rarely exceeding 5 feet in total length.	Eastern box turtle - Terrapene carolina carolina Many box turtles have yellowish markings on the top of the shell which camouflage the turtles in their forest habitat.
Egyptian Tortoise - Testudo kleinmanni A highly protected species, the Egyptian tortoise is also one of the smallest tortoises in the world.	Gaboon viper - Bitis gabonica rhinoceros These beautiful but highly venomous animals have the largest fangs in the snake world, some being more than two inches in length.	Green tree monitor - Varanus prasinus It’s hard to believe that this beautiful small-bodied lizard is in the same family as the world’s largest lizard, the Komodo dragon.	Matamata - Chelus fimbriatus The Matamata usually lives at the bottom of streams. It uses its long, pointed nose to reach the surface to breathe.	Ocellated mountain viper - Vipera wagneri Very little is known about the natural history of this small rare snake. It can reach a length of 3 ft., although most are smaller.
Pancake tortoise - Malacochersus tornieri When in danger, these tortoises seek the shelter of deep rock crevices where they lock themselves in place with their front legs.	Peach-throated monitor - Varanus jobiensis Like many tree-dwelling lizards, these animals have sharp, strong claws which help them to climb through trees.	Philippine Palm Viper - Trimeresurus mcgregori This medium-sized snake comes in a wide variety of colors. Although venomous, it accounts for very few snakebites on humans.	Prehensile-tailed skink - Corucia zebrata The "grasping" tail is used for climbing through trees. This is one of the few species of skink with this specialized feature.	Scheltopusik - Ophisaurus apodus This animal has eyelids, unlike true snakes, which have no eyelids.
Siamese crocodile - Crocodylus siamensis Unlike alligators, the fourth tooth on the bottom jaw of crocodiles can be seen when the mouth is closed.	Spotted turtle - Clemmys guttata The spotted turtle is one of Michigan's smallest turtles, growing only to 5 inches in length.	Tentacled snake - Erpeton tentaculatum These snakes are entirely aquatic. Their coloration helps them to closely resemble a water-soaked stick.	West Indies iguana - Iguana delicatissima This rare species is closely related to the common green iguana, which is commonly seen in the pet trade.
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