Look around you and you’ll see many green animals. There are green insects, green fish, green reptiles, and green birds, but there are no green mammals – why is that? In a predominantly green world, being green seems like it would have its perks, especially if you’re trying to avoid the gaze of a hungry […]
Tag: reptiles
“One is like a motorbike while the other is a pushbike…” What’s the difference between cold-blooded and warm-blooded animals?
What’s the difference between cold-blooded and warm-blooded? The animal kingdom can be split based on how body temperature is controlled (thermoregulation): ‘cold-blooded’ ectotherms use external sources of heat, such as solar energy, whereas ‘warm-blooded’ endotherms generate internal heat via metabolism. But while this difference helps define features and behaviour, some species show that the distinction […]
It bites its own tail to transform into a brutal spiked wheel – one of nature’s strangest defences
It’s a brave beast that bites this tail. The spiky appendage belongs to an armadillo girdled lizard, as does the mouth that’s biting it. The reptile is the sole member of the genus Ouroborus, named after the mythical serpent that ate its own tail – a symbol of continuity, eternity, rebirth and cycles of life. […]
These venomous lizards can grow as long as a car. In the breeding season, things get brutal
Were we to play the game ‘Word Association’, most of you would surely follow ‘sun’ with ‘moon’ and ‘cat’ with ‘dog’. If ‘Komodo’ was the first word chosen, it’s highly likely most of you would say ‘dragon’. This enormous reptile, which takes its name from the island that Westerners first documented it to be on, […]
“It has a reputation for cunning, opportunism and haunting twilight calls…” Does this wild dog really deserve its bad reputation?
Jackals are members of the canid family with a reputation for cunning, opportunism and haunting twilight calls. Found across parts of Africa, Europe and Asia, they can occupy a range of ecological niches, hunting, scavenging and foraging on whatever is available. Long overshadowed by their showier cousins, such as wolves and wild dogs, these highly adaptable […]
“It has webbed feet, a powerful rudder-like tail and a water-resistant coat.” 7 wild cats that are incredible swimmers, with 1 underwater specialist
We think cats hate swimming – and while many do – you might be surprised to hear that many wild cats swim regularly, and (whisper it) they don’t actually hate it. From jungle rivers to African wetlands, several wild cat species are not only capable swimmers, they actually enjoy it. Whether it’s hunting, cooling off or just exploring their habitat, these felines […]
“It can run across water at speeds of 5 feet per second. That’s pretty nippy…” 9 weirdest reptiles in the world, including a devil with two heads
Reptiles are a diverse group of animals, and some of them have truly bizarre and fascinating characteristics – here are a few of the weirdest reptiles on the planet. Weirdest reptiles in the world Green basilisk A lizard that can run on water? Meet the Green basilisk – also known as the ‘Jesus Christ lizard’ […]
“It has incredibly potent venom, causing catastrophic internal bleeding and horrifying consequences – with the body coming apart from within.”
Long, arboreal and often dazzlingly green, the boomslang looks more like a vine with eyes than a killer. Yet this member of the Colubrid snake family carries an incredibly potent venom, capable of causing catastrophic internal bleeding. It is shy and much less likely to bite than some other more aggressive venomous snakes, such as the saw-scaled […]