Reptiles
Snakes, lizards, crocodilians, turtles and tortoises, plus the tuatara, which looks like a lizard but belongs to a group of its own.
The slow worm is here too. It looks like a snake, but it's a legless lizard.
32 animals, A to Z.
- AlligatorTwo species of broad-snouted crocodilian: the American alligator of the south-eastern US, and the much smaller Chinese alligator, which is critically endangered.
- AnacondaLarge, semiaquatic boas of tropical South America.
- Basilisk lizardFour species of large lizards from the rainforests of southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America.
- Bearded dragonEight species of Australian lizards named for the spiny "beard" under the throat, which darkens and puffs up when they are stressed, threatened or courting.
- Boa constrictorA large, heavy-bodied, non-venomous snake of tropical America, and a staple of pet collections.
- BoomslangA highly venomous tree snake of sub-Saharan Africa; its name is Afrikaans for "tree snake".
- CaimanSix species of alligator relatives from Central and South America, living in marshes, swamps, lakes and mangrove rivers and fairly nocturnal.
- ChameleonAbout 200 species of Old World lizard with independently moving eyes, a projectile tongue and gripping feet and tail.
- CobraVenomous snakes that rear up and spread a hood when threatened.
- CopperheadA heavy-bodied pit viper of the eastern United States, camouflaged by dark hourglass bands on a copper to brown background.
- CrocodileBig, armoured reptiles that ambush prey at the water’s edge across the tropics, from the 1.5 m dwarf crocodile to the saltwater crocodile, which can pass 6 m.
- GeckoNearly 2,000 species of small, mostly nocturnal lizards, the most species-rich lizard group.
- GharialA crocodilian of the rivers of the northern Indian subcontinent, and among the longest of all, with a very long, narrow snout and 110 interlocking teeth built for catching fish.
- Grass snakeA non-venomous, semi-aquatic Eurasian snake, usually dark green or brown with a yellow or white collar behind the head.
- IguanaLarge plant-eating lizards of tropical America, with a dewlap and a crest of long scales down the back.
- Komodo dragonThe largest living lizard, a monitor lizard found only on a few Indonesian islands.
- LizardScaly reptiles, usually with four legs, with over 7,000 species.
- MambaFour species of fast, highly venomous African snakes in the cobra family.
- Monitor lizardAbout 94 species of lizards with long necks, powerful tails and claws and strong legs, from 20 cm long to the 3 m Komodo dragon.
- PythonA family of 39 non-venomous snakes of Africa, Asia and Australia, including some of the largest snakes in the world.
- RattlesnakeThirty-six species of venomous pit vipers of the Americas, named for the rattle of interlocking keratin segments at the tail tip.
- Sea turtleSeven species of ocean-going turtles, including the green, loggerhead, hawksbill and leatherback.
- SidewinderA small rattlesnake of the deserts of the southwestern US and northwestern Mexico.
- SkinkOne of the most diverse lizard families, with more than 1,500 species.
- Slow wormA legless lizard native to Europe: neither a worm nor a snake.
- SnakeLimbless reptiles with more than 4,170 species, found on every continent except Antarctica.
- TaipanThree species of large, fast, extremely venomous snakes from Australia and New Guinea, in the cobra family.
- TerrapinTerrapins are turtles of fresh or brackish water with clawed feet rather than flippers.
- TortoiseLand-living turtles with domed shells and column-like, elephant-like legs.
- TuataraA lizard-like reptile found only in New Zealand, and the last survivor of the order Rhynchocephalia, the dominant group of small reptiles in the Jurassic.
- TurtleShelled reptiles, about 360 species, including land-living tortoises, freshwater terrapins and sea turtles.
- ViperVenomous snakes with long, hinged fangs that fold back against the roof of the mouth when not in use.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. Every animal, in one list: All animals.