Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake (Crotalus willardi), SW United States & No. Mexico
(photo: A. Jaszlics)
Fire Salamander (Salamandra salamandra)
- They are native to the cool, damp forest floors of southern and central Europe. They live under leaf-litter, and are very hard to notice if not disturbed
- Rarely seen during the day as they are Nocturnal
- Fire salamanders do not only hibernate (from October till March) but they reduce their activity also during the hottest season (July, August) in particular in the southern parts of their range
- The black and yellow color (aposematic coloration) is a warning to potential enemies: The main defense this salamander has against predators namely is its toxicity
- The large paratoid glands behind the eyes and rows of poison glands extending lengthwise down the animal’s body secrete neurotoxins. The Fire Salamander even is capable of actively spraying these chemicals at predators to discourage attack
- With a body length from 15 to 20 cm (even up to 35 cm) it is the largest species in the family
fortheloveofherpetology: Dumeril’s Boa (Acrantophis dumerili) *
- Endemic to the dry forests, and highlands (sometimes reaching an elevation of 1,300 metres) of Madagascar as well as near some of the remote villages
- This relatively large, heavy-bodied, ground dwelling snake is also known as the Madagascar ground boa
- This snakes mottled coloration provides the perfect camouflage when it is traveling through leaf litter
- Dumeril’s boas range in size from 3 to 6 feet. Snakes up to 9 feet long are rare, but they are out there
- Juveniles of this species are nocturnal, while adults are cathemeral (meaning they are active intermittently throughout the day or night and not exclusively active in either)
- This species is and ambush predator and kills its prey (normally consisting of rodents, birds, and other mammals) by constriction
- Dumeril’s Boa lacks the heat-sensitive facial-pits present in many other boa species, which are used to detect warm bodied prey
* Also named as Boa dumerili, the acrantophis name is an older name/classification.
Another correction - the Dumeril’s Boa is a separate species to the Madagascan Ground Boa
Green Tree Monitor (Varanus prasinus)
- Lives among the trees in New Guinea and several adjacent islands, as well as a few islands within the Torres Strait, a body of water separating Papua New Guinea and northern Queensland, Australia
- One of the most strikingly colored monitor species, exhibiting various shades of green to turquoise, topped with dark, transverse dorsal banding
- One of the most fragile and sensitive monitors in captivity. They are intolerant of keeper error and do not react well to stress or handling
- Extremely active lizards
I do not own any of these images or this information
(Source: fuckyeahretics, via adorablesnakes)
Schooling raccoon butterflyfish (Chaetodon lunula) beneath the coastline of West Maui, Hawaii
Photograph: David Fleetham/Bluegreen / Rex F/Rex Features
I love you yawning burm, nice clear big mouf we can look at some snake anatomy.
Snakes have two sets of teeth on the top, and one set on bottom. You can see the rows of teeth defined here as ridges hidden with gums (when you have a ton of thin fish hook style teeth, you need some extra buffering to hold them in place. The gums slide down along the bone when the teeth press against food). The bottom jaw bones can move somewhat independently from one another, to help crawl down the food while the top inner set works more as an anchor.
The hole in the roof of the mouth is called the choanal slit. The nostrils pass into this opening, and when the mouth is closed it flows into the glottis and on into the trachea to breathe. In this photo the glottis is closed, so that little nub between the bottom teeth. That’s where they breathe, not that big gaping swallowing hole esophagus. The glottis is also where the tongue comes out from. Snakes tend to have a little notch in the front upper lip to clear a path for the tongue to flick freely.
This is why people say to check the tongue if the snake has RI. Since it hangs out in the breathing apparatus, the forked sections can get glommed together when there’s an overproduction of snot.
And those big bulges arching around the esophagus are jaw muscles.
(Source: exitnetwork)
conservationofhope: The Cuban Crocodile
The Cuban crocodile is a small species of crocodile found in Cuba’s Zapata Swamp and the Isle of Youth. The Cuban crocodile formerly lived in the Caribbean. We know this because their fossils have been discovered in the Cayman Islands and the Bahamas. The Cuban crocodile favors a freshwater habitat, such as swamps, marshes, and rivers.
The Cuban crocodile is easy to distinguish with its bright adult colors, rough pebbled scales, and long, strong legs. They have blunt rear teeth which aids in crushing its prey. The Cuban crocodile feeds on small mammals, fish, and turtles.
Due to its habitat and range, humans have hunted this species to near extinction. They are listed as critically endangered. There’s an estimate of 3,000-6,000 left in the wild, with few in captivity.
They are currently being bred in zoos across the United States. In early July 2012, a Cuban crocodile named Dorothy became a mom for the first time at the age of 55 when two of her twenty six eggs hatched. They became the first Cuban crocodiles to be born at the National Zoo in over 24 years. Way to go, Dorothy!
(Source: , via reptiglo)
