Jaragua Sphaero

Jaragua Sphaero

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Gekkonidae
Genus : Sphaerodactylus
Species : S. ariasae

Length : 16mm

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Did you know that the Jaragua Sphaero, also known as the Dwarf Gecko, is perhaps the smallest bird, mammal, or reptile ever discovered! As you can see from the picture, the Jaragua Saphaero can comfortably curl up on a coin!

These tiny little guys were discovered in the Dominican Republic by biologists Blair Hedges and Richard Thomas in 2001. They are only found in Jaragua National Park. The Jaragua Saphaero lives in relatively dry areas, but ones that also have moist leaves so that they don't dehydrate.

The species name, ariasae, is in honor of Yvonna Arias, who is the leader of Grupo Jaragua, a Dominican conservation organization. The Jaragua Sphaero and many other island species are under threat due to habitat loss. Conservation organizations are working hard to keep these species safe.

Black Softshell Turtle

Black Softshell Turtle

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Testudines
Family : Trionychidae
Genus : Aspideretes?
Species : A. nigricans

IUCN Status : Extinct in the wild

Like the Yangtze Soft-shell Turtle, the Black Softshell Turtle is also extremely rare, so rare that they are listed as being extinct in the wild. There are between 150-300 living in a man-made pond at the Hazrat Sultan Bayazid Bastami Shrine in Chittagong, Bangladesh, and it is believed that there is one other small population in Assam, India.

The Turtles at the shrine are protected, and cannot be killed or harvested. It is believed that the Turtles are actually connected to the saint. Pilgrims offer food to the turtles, and females nest in protected, walled off areas. They lay up to 40 eggs at a time which take around 100 days to hatch.

Not much else is known about these turtles and their historical habitats or wild behaviors. They were already living near exclusively in the shrine when they were first described in 1875.

Black Softshell Turtle

Black Softshell Turtle

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Reptilia

Order : Testudines

Family : Trionychidae

Genus : Aspideretes?

Species : A. nigricans



IUCN Status : Extinct in the wild



Like the Yangtze Soft-shell Turtle, the Black Softshell Turtle is also extremely rare, so rare that they are listed as being extinct in the wild. There are between 150-300 living in a man-made pond at the Hazrat Sultan Bayazid Bastami Shrine in Chittagong, Bangladesh, and it is believed that there is one other small population in Assam, India.



The Turtles at the shrine are protected, and cannot be killed or harvested. It is believed that the Turtles are actually connected to the saint. Pilgrims offer food to the turtles, and females nest in protected, walled off areas. They lay up to 40 eggs at a time which take around 100 days to hatch.



Not much else is known about these turtles and their historical habitats or wild behaviors. They were already living near exclusively in the shrine when they were first described in 1875.

Kleinmann's Tortoise

Kleinmann's Tortoise

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Sauropsida
Order : Testudines
Family : Testudinidae
Genus : Testudo
Species : T. kleinmanni

Length : 4.5in (11.5cm)

IUCN Status : Critically Endangered

Kleinmann's Tortoises are also referred to as Egyptian Tortoises, though sadly they are completely extinct in Egypt. Small populations still live in desert and semi-arid areas of Libya and a few other nearby areas.

When we last visited the world of the Tortoises, we looked at the Speckled Padloper Tortoise, the smallest tortoise in the world. Kleinmann's Tortoises are the smallest Tortoises in the Northern Hemisphere, and the second smallest overall in the world.. They are easy to identify due to their small size, high carapaces, and dull yellow shells. They also have two very distinct dark triangular marks on their plastrons.

Kleinmann's Tortoises have seen their populations fragmented due to habitat loss. Their small size has also made them incredibly popular in the pet trade, and thousands of them were taken in the past few decades. It is estimated that there are only 7,500 left. The species is protected in Egypt, but not in Libya, where most of the wild individuals still live.

Kleinmann's Tortoise

Kleinmann's Tortoise

Phylum : Chordata

Class : Sauropsida

Order : Testudines

Family : Testudinidae

Genus : Testudo

Species : T. kleinmanni



Length : 4.5in (11.5cm)



IUCN Status : Critically Endangered



Kleinmann's Tortoises are also referred to as Egyptian Tortoises, though sadly they are completely extinct in Egypt. Small populations still live in desert and semi-arid areas of Libya and a few other nearby areas.



When we last visited the world of the Tortoises, we looked at the Speckled Padloper Tortoise, the smallest tortoise in the world. Kleinmann's Tortoises are the smallest Tortoises in the Northern Hemisphere, and the second smallest overall in the world.. They are easy to identify due to their small size, high carapaces, and dull yellow shells. They also have two very distinct dark triangular marks on their plastrons.



Kleinmann's Tortoises have seen their populations fragmented due to habitat loss. Their small size has also made them incredibly popular in the pet trade, and thousands of them were taken in the past few decades. It is estimated that there are only 7,500 left. The species is protected in Egypt, but not in Libya, where most of the wild individuals still live.

Jackson's Chameleon

Male Jackson's Chameleon

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Chamaeleonidae
Genus : Chamaeleo
Species : C. jacksonii

Length : 12in (30cm)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

Jackson's Chameleons are native to Kenya and Tanzania where they spend their time up in trees. There are three subspecies, with C. j. jacksonii being the most common.

Three-Horned Chameleon is another name for this species, and it refers to the three large horns that are found on the males. These Chameleons are normally a green color, but can change depending on where they are and their stress level.

Female Jackson's Chameleon

Color change takes a large part in Chameleon reproduction. A male will approach a female, making bobbing movements and changing color. If the female does not want to mate, she turns very dark, which means she feel threatened. If she does want to mate, the color remains green. Females give birth by dropping their young onto the ground, which coaxes them out of their thin egg sacs. The young Chameleons are on their own after that.

Jackson's Chameleons feed off of insects and other invertebrates. Their eyes can move independently from one another, and they use them to sit quietly and spot for prey. When a potential meal is found, the Chameleons traps it by propelling its long, sticky tongue.

Eastern Coral Snake

Eastern Coral Snake

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Squamata
Family : Elapidae
Genus : Micrurus
Species : fulvius

Length : 20-30in (51-76cm)

IUCN Status : Least Concern

The Eastern Coral Snake is found in the southeastern areas of the United States, as well as in parts of eastern and central Mexico. They have a very distinctive body coloration, with large rings of red and black with thinner, yellow rings in between.

Eastern Coral Snakes are venomous, and because of that their are two other species in their range that mimic their coloration. Both the Scarlet Snake and Scarlet Kingsnake are marked with similar bands. This confuses predators into thinking that these non-venomous species are actually dangerous Coral Snakes, and should thus be avoided.

Eastern Coral Snakes are reclusive and really only attack humans when stepped on or handled. When they bite down on their target, be it a human ankle or a frog, they often have to chew a bit to get the venom in. Their bites don't really cause much pain or swelling, but if left unattended the toxin will cause nerve damage and eventually, paralysis. Eastern Coral Snakes are venomous right after hatching.

There is antivenin for Eastern Coral Snakes, and their have been no reported deaths since its introduction in 1967.

Microraptor

Gliding Microraptor

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Saurischia
Family : †Dromaeosauridae
Genus : †Microraptor

Length : 2ft (61cm)

Status : Extinct since the Early Cretaceous, 120 million years ago.

Microraptors were tiny, predatory dinosaurs that most likely fed on insects and small vertebrates, including small mammals. They are some of the smallest Dinosaurs ever discovered.

Around two dozen nearly complete specimens have been uncovered in China during the last decade or so, and what makes these Dinosaurs so remarkable is that we know for a fact that they had feathers. And not only that, but they basically had two full sets of wings, one set on the front arms, and the second on the hind legs. These feathers were similar to the flight feathers that we see on our modern birds, and because of them Microraptor was most likely able to glide. These long flight feathers are a contrast to several other Dinosaurs, where feathers were present, but only as a covering and not for flight.

There is debate within paleontology regarding the origin of birds. Did they evolve directly from dinosaurs, or did they evolve independently through an as yet undiscovered species? Feathered Dinosaurs like Microraptor can help us to one day solve that mystery.

Speckled Padloper Tortoise

Speckled Padloper Tortoise

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Sauropsida
Order : Testudines
Family : Testudinidae
Genus : Homopus
Species: signatus

Length : 4in (11cm)

IUCN Status: Near Threatened

The Speckled Padloper Tortoise is the smallest tortoise in the entire world! Found in South Africa, this tiny guy has a speckled shell whose carapace rarely grows longer than a third of a foot!

Their speckles help to keep them camouflaged in rocky areas, where they spend a great deal of their time hiding. Not much is known about their behavior in the wild, other than that females lay only one egg at a time and that the species is herbivorous.

Speckled Padloper Tortoises have several threats working against them. These include loss of habitat, introduction of highways, poaching for the pet trade, and the introduction of new predatory species. Their low birth rate has also made it difficult for this tiny species to survive through so many changes.

Brontomerus mcintoshi

Brontomerus fights off an attacker!

Genus : Brontomerus
Species : mcintoshi

Length : 46ft (14m)
Weight : 13,500lbs (6,100kg)

Status : Extinct since the Early Cretaceous, approximately 110 million years ago

This animal came across my news radar this morning and I just had to cover it.This new species was actually first discovered in Utah in 1994, but wasn't fully evaluated until 2007. When scientists finally got a good look at it, the realized that this species had a really interesting feature.

Brontomerus mcintoshi has a bony plate that projects from the hip bone. This plate serves as an anchor for the dinosaur's leg muscles. It is between 31% and 55% longer than bone plates in other sauropods. This means that this new dinosaur had substantially powerful hind legs, the most muscular legs of any Sauropod! These legs were so powerful, in fact, that scientists gave it the name Brontomerus, which means "Thunder Thighs." (The species name, mcintoshi, is in honor of John McIntosh, a world authority on Sauropods.)

It is believed that the animals used their powerful legs to move across rough terrain, and that they also used them to kick and stomp at predators!

Bones from two individuals have so far been uncovered, an adult and a much smaller juvenile.

Iguanodon

Iguanodon

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Superorder : Dinosauria
Order : †Ornithischia
Family : †Iguanodontidae
Genus : †Iguanodon

Length : 33ft (10m)
Weight : 10,000lbs (4,500kg)

Status : Extinct for around 110 million years

"Iguanodon" refers to several different discovered species within the genus Iguanodon. Theses Dinosaurs are notable because they were actually discovered before the word Dinosaur even existed! Around 1820 English geologist Gideon Mantell discovered a tooth of one of these guys in Sussex, England. He thought the tooth looked like a large Iguana tooth and the name stuck. Mantell continued to do research on Iguanodons and other fossilized species until his death in 1852.

Mantell's Iguanodon
 Teeth Illustration

Iguanodons were herbivores that lived in what is now Europe, Asia, and North America. The various species lived in the early Cretaceous, around 140-110 million years ago. They had three fingers on each hand, along with a thumb that had a hooked claw that could be used for grasping food and for defense. Iguanodon mouths had teeth in the back but none in the front. This was so they could tear apart plant materials with their beak-like mouths and then chew.

Iguanodons could move on all fours, but also on just their hind legs, due to the fact that their front limbs were only about 3/4 the size of the back limbs. They most likely moved in packs, like many modern herbivores do, and they laid eggs.

Plumed Basilisk

Male Plumed Basilisk

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Sauropsida
Order : Squamata
Family : Corytophanidae
Genus : Basiliscus
Species : plumifrons

Length : 2-3ft (.6-1m)
Weight : 7oz (200g)

IUCN status : Not Listed

In its native lands in Central America, the Plumed Basilisk is sometimes referred to as the 'Jesus Christ Lizard.' Why? Because for a short amount of time, these striking green lizards are able to walk across water. This interesting feat is accomplished with help from their gigantic toes. As the lizard runs, it's long feet spread out, increasing the surface area, and when they slap their feet down it creates small air pockets that prevent them from sinking. Of course, the Plumed Basilisk cannot walk on water forever, they can only move about 15ft (4.5m).

Plumed Basilisks are also exceptional swimmers. They can stay underwater for a half hour or more! They are an omnivorous species, and eat mostly insects, plants, and small vertebrates.

The Plumed Basilisk is also known as the Green Basilisk and the Double Crested Basilisk. Both of these monikers refer to their appearance; they are bright green in color with small blueish spots, and males possess crests on their head and back. Females have crests on their heads only.

Females lay up to 20 eggs, which are not looked after by either parent. Young hatchlings are able to swim and run (on water!) right away.

 

Common Snapping Turtle

(Image Source)

Phylum : Chordata
Class : Reptilia
Order : Testudines
Family : Chelydridae
Genus : Chelydra 
Species : serpentina

Length : 10-20in (25-50cm)
Weight : 10-40lbs (4.5-18kg)

IUCN Status : Not Listed

The Common Snapping Turtle has a pretty extensive range that covers a great deal of Eastern North America. They are found in fresh water, preferring habitats that have muddy bottoms, which make it easier for them to hide. They are among the largest freshwater turtles in North America.

There are four recognized subspecies, each with their own range. They all possess long tails, clawed feet, and powerful beak-like jaws. They use those jaws to catch and consume just about anything they can fit inside of them. Common Snapping Turtles are omnivores, and eat fish, invertebrates, birds, mammals, plant matter, and carrion. They even consume other turtles, who they kill by decapitation. They sometimes hunt by burying themselves in the muddy water-bottoms, and then ambushing their prey.

Common Snapping Turtles are not at all social, and are really only seen together during mating or when fighting over territory. They are quite aggressive when handled out of the water, but become more calm when released back into the preferred habitat. Common Snapping Turtles were (and still are in some places) hunted for their meat. Hunting has not had a serious impact on their population.

Common Kingsnake

California Kingsnake 
(Lampropeltis getula californiae)

Common Kingsnakes (Lampropeltis getula) are native to the United States and Mexico, living in a wide variety of terrestrial habitats including forests, fields, scrublands, and near bodies of water. There are eight named subspecies. Common Kingsnakes measure 30-85in (76-216cm) and are identified by their shiny scales and dark and light banded pattern. Their coloration can vary depending on subspecies population and location, but they are most commonly either brown or black with white bands.

Desert Kingsnake
(Lampropeltis getula splendida)

One really interesting fact about he Common Kingsnake is that it is immune to the venom of rattlesnakes and several other venomous snake species. Because of this, the Kingsnakes are actually able to kill and consume these snakes, though they also feed on birds, rodents, amphibians, other reptiles, and eggs. Essentially, they will kill and consume whatever they can overpower. They are non-venomous and kill their prey through constriction.

Common Kingsnakes are oviparous, meaning that they lay eggs. Females lay them between May and August and they hatch between about 50 and 80 days. Hatchlings measure up to 1ft (30cm) at birth.

Common Kingsnakes are popular in the pet trade, and their population is not currently at risk.

Scheltopusik

The Scheltopusik, also known as the European Glass Lizard, looks like a snake, but is not. Though it has no legs and moves like a snake, its ear openings, eyelids, and ventral scales identify it as a lizard. It is one of many species of legless or reduced-legged lizards that are found all over the world.

(Image Source)

The Scheltopusik (Pseudopus apodus) looks a lot like a large, cream-colored worm (it's common name comes from a Russian word meaning yellow-bellied). It can grow to some pretty big lengths, with specimens measured at 100-130cm. A large portion of their body is made up of a tail, which can detach as a defense mechanism. They sometimes do have their hind legs, but they are very small and are essentially worthless.

They make their home in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, in primarily open, dry areas. There, the Scheltpousik hunts a variety of different animals, including rodents, snails, and insects. Females lay up to a dozen eggs at a time, which she guards until hatching. They can live up to fifty years.

South American Bushmaster

(Image Source)

Lachesis muta is the largest viper in the world, and the longest venomous snake in the Western Hemisphere. They can reach lengths of over nine feet, with large specimens growing several more feet on top of that. The South American Bushmaster can be found in tropical forests in the north and central parts of the continent, including the countries of Brazil, Venezuela, Colombia, and Bolivia. They are also found on the island of Trinidad and in some areas of Central America. Overall, they are a very widespread species.

The South American Bushmaster is venomous, and its bite can kill a human. They have long fangs that sink deep into their target, injecting the venom far in. The venom is not as strong as that of other snakes, but it is hemotoxic; causing organ degeneration and loss of red blood cells. Luckily, they are nocturnal snakes and do not frequently come into contact with humans, so the total number of bites is relatively low. There is an anti venom available, but it must be administered quickly.

South American Bushmasters feed primarily on rodents, amphibians, and small reptiles, which they detect with powerful heat sensors. These sensors are where pit vipers get their names from. They are small "pits" located between the eyes and nose.

Black Mamba

We got Turkey for Thanksgiving, and now a deadly, venomous snake for Black Friday. Though did you know that the Black Mamba isn't really black? Their bodies are actually grayish-brown; the name comes from the color of their mouths, which they open and display when threatened.

(Image Source)

Black Mambas can be found in Southern and Eastern Africa. They live in a variety of habitats, but are most common in grass and scrubland areas. They are the longest venomous snakes on the continent, with average lengths of over nine feet, and some individuals reaching up to fourteen. Because of their long size, they can strike from four to six feet away, and they tend to strike multiple times.

Before their was an anti-venom, Mamba bites were 100% fatal. There is now an anti-venom, but because it kills so quickly there are still human deaths in many remote areas. Black Mambas are slowly loosing their habitat to farmland, which puts them in close proximity to humans. Their nervous demeanor allows them to get easily scared and defensive, especially when surprised or cornered. When threatened, they open their black mouths and spread a cobra-like hood on the sides of their neck.

Black Mambas feed off of rodents and birds, though they are capable of devouring prey much larger due to their flexible jaws. Aside from habitat loss, the only real threat to the Black Mamba is the Mongoose, though due to the snake's size the Mongoose preys only on eggs and young.

Puff Adder

It's not the longest snake, or the heaviest, but the Puff Adder is one of the most feared. Why? Because they kill more people on their home continent of Africa than any other species of snake. Though numbers are hard to track down, something around 60% of all bites come from Bitis arietans.

(Image Source)

Puff Adders only measure about three feet in length, and have very wide, sluggish bodies that rely on camouflage for hunting. However, don't let their girth fool you, they can strike extremely fast, and their venom can cause shock, unconsciousness, skin necrosis, and hemorrhages. They have long fangs and can inject the venom deep into their target, easily causing death if not treated. Though the threat to humans is there, Puff Adders normally go after and feed upon small rodents, reptiles, and birds. Human attacks typically occur when the snake is startled and confronted.

Puff Adders are (my favorite word!) ovoviviparous, and can give birth to several dozen live young at once. These young are independent from birth. They are a common species, and have not been evaluated by the IUCN. In the wild, Puff Adders actually have several enemies, including badgers, raptors, warthogs, and other snakes.

Harriet

Before she passed away 2006, Harriet was considered one of the oldest animals alive on the planet. Her age was placed at 176 years. While this seems incredibly old for us, it's quite normal for Galapagos Tortoises to exceed over a hundred years. Harriet is the third oldest tortoise recorded, after a fellow Galapagos who lived to 188, and an Aldabra Tortoise named Adwaita, who was reported to be a whopping 255 at his death in 2005.

(Image Source)

Harriet is considered special not only due to her old age. She is also rumored to be one of three Tortoises collected by Charles Darwin on his Beagle voyage in 1835. Recent research has cast some doubt on that story, as scientists claim she was a member of a subspecies (Geochelone nigra porteri) that lives on an island the Beagle never went to. We know that Darwin took three tortoises with him, which he described as being as large as dinner plates. Harriet was born around 1830, and would've been about that size in 1835. We know that Darwin's three tortoises ended up with John Clements Wickam, who was bound for Brisbane Australia. We also know that Harriet was present at the Brisbane Botanical Gardens by 1870, and lived there until it's closing in 1952. Another one of Darwin's Tortoises, Tom, died in the Gardens in 1929.

(Image Source)

Harriet's true story is still a mystery, but Darwin's tortoise or not, she lived a pretty extraordinary life that spanned an amazing period in human history. Andrew Jackson was president when she was born. Photography has just been invented. Telephones and Telegraphs were non-existent. She lived though wars, political upheavals, and scientific innovations... all while munching happily away in her garden.

Harriet was originally named "Harry" and was thought to be a male. It wasn't until the 1960s that she was discovered to be female (which explained why any breeding attempts failed.) Harriet was brought to Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo in Queensland in 1987 and became a fast favorite of all the staff and guests. She was reported a very good natured tortoise, " a grand old lady" to quote Irwin. He considered her a part of the family. Harriet died of a heart attack following an illness on June 23rd, 2006.

Yangzte Soft-Shell Turtle

The Yangtze Soft-Shell Turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), also known as the Shanghai Soft-Shell or Swinhoe's Soft-Shell, is the rarest, most endangered turtle in the entire world. There are only four known specimens in existence, and all are getting quite old. They are also one of the largest of the Soft-Shell Turtles, members of the family Trionychidae. Soft-Shell Turtles are so named because their shells have a more pliable, almost leathery feeling carapace that is essentially really thick skin.

(Image Source)

Yangtze Soft-Shell Turtles are natively found in South East Asia, though their is only one believed specimen in the wild today. They measure up to a meter in length and have tails and pig-like snouts. Females are slightly larger than males. Yangtze Soft-Shelled Turtles are omnivores, and feed off of plants, fish, snails, crustaceans, and small amphibians.

As already mentioned, the Yangtze Soft-Shell Turtle is the most endangered Turtle in the world. It might also possibly be the most endangered animal, period. Their species was potentially irreparably damaged due to loss of habitat and hunting for use in traditional medicines and as food. Two specimens are in captivity in China, and there are two reported individuals in Vietnam. For a few years now, scientists have been working to save the species by breeding the Chinese pair. Unfortunately, the female previously lived in an enclosure that was dirty and saw a lot of vandalism, and her poor diet of garbage caused her first clutch of eggs to be almost completely infertile. The second breeding, which took place earlier this year, yielded a few fertile eggs, but they never made it to term. Cleaner, protected conditions and a better diet are making conservationists hopeful about breedings in the years to come.

The main problem however, is that the females is over eighty years old, and the male is over one hundred. While many turtle species have exceptionally long life expectancies (especially compared to humans) time is ticking to save this rare species.Another breeding is planned for 2011.