Nature Voyagers

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  R eptiles  -  Latest posts  / Snakes Atheris squamiger (BUSH VIPER) Family: Viperidae Adult Size: At an adult length of 16 to 22 inches, males are the smaller sex. Females vary from 20 to 28 inches in length but have been authenticated at 32 inches. Male and female Range: This is an abundant forest bush viper from Nigeria to western Kenya. It also is found from northwestern Tanzania southward to northwestern Angola, as well as on the Island (formerly Fernando Po). Habitat: The variable bush viper is most often associated with rainforests, but occurs also in open woodlands, along water courses and in the vegetation bordering trails. Captive Lifespan: 12 to 20 Years Dangerous: Care Level: Advanced Overview This venomous, pretty, rough-scaled, arboreal viper is also known as the common bush viper and the green bush viper. Since the species is remarkably polymorphic, occurring als...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  /  R eptiles  -  Latest posts  /  Lizards Armadillo girdled lizard The armadillo girdled lizard (Ouroborus cataphractus) also commonly known as the armadillo lizard, the Golden-armadillo lizard, or the armadillo spiny-tailed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Cordylidae. The species is endemic to desert areas along the western coast of South Africa. In 2011, it was moved to its own genus based on molecular phylogeny, but formerly it was included in the genus Cordylus. Description The armadillo girdled lizard can be a light brown to dark brown in coloration. The underbelly is yellow with a blackish pattern, especially under the chin. Its size can range from 7.5 to 9 cm (3.0 to 3.5 in) in snout-vent length (SVL). It may grow to a maximum size of 10.5 cm (4.1 in) SVL. Distribution and habitat O. cataphractus is endemic to the Succulent Karoo biome in the Northern and ...

Reptiles - Latest posts Reptiles  -  Latest posts Reptiles are tetrapod animals in the class Reptilia, comprising today's turtles, crocodilians, snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, tuatara, and their extinct relatives. The study of these traditional reptile orders, historically combined with that of modern amphibians, is called herpetology. Because some reptiles are more closely related to birds than they are to other reptiles (e.g., crocodiles are more closely related to birds than they are to lizards), the traditional groups of "reptiles" listed above do not together constitute a monophyletic grouping or clade (consisting of all descendants of a common ancestor). For this reason, many modern scientists prefer to consider the birds part of Reptilia as well, thereby making Reptilia a monophyletic class, including all living Diapsids. The earliest known proto-reptiles originated around 312 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, having evolved from advanced reptil...

Species  -  Latest posts  /  Genres  -  Latest posts  / R eptiles  -  Latest posts  /  Lizards Philippine sailfin lizard The Philippine sailfin lizard, crested lizard, sail-fin lizard, sailfin water lizard, soa-soa water lizard (Hydrosaurus pustulatus) or its native name ibid is an oviparous lizard living only in the Philippines. Behavior and appearance The Philippine sailfin lizard is an excellent swimmer and has flattened toes that enable it to run across water, similar to the basilisks. It is omnivorous, feeding on fruit, leaves, flowers, insects, and small animals . Males have a larger crest on their back than the females. The males also show a violet color as they grow older. Females are less colorful. The adults may reach up to a metre in length. Habitat and taxonomy Taxidermied Philippine Sailfin Lizard displayed at Philippine National Museum. The Philippine sailfin lizard lives in tropical wooded habitats near water, like r...

photo:  Since they feed by grabbing and holding onto their prey, they have evolved sharp teeth for piercing and holding onto flesh, and powerful muscles to close the jaws and hold them shut. The teeth are not well-suited to tearing flesh off of large prey items as are the dentition and claws of many mammalian carnivores, the hooked bills and talons of raptorial birds, or the serrated teeth of sharks. However, this is an advantage rather than a disadvantage to the crocodile since the properties of the teeth allow it to hold onto prey with the least possibility of the prey animal escaping. Cutting teeth, combined with the exceptionally high bite force, would pass through flesh easily enough to leave an escape opportunity for prey. The jaws can bite down with immense force, by far the strongest bite of any animal. The force of a large crocodile's bite is more than 5,000 lbf (22,000 N), which was measured in a 5.5 m (18 ft) Nile crocodile, in the field; comparing to 335 lbf (1,490 N) f...