Lizard is the common name used for all squamate reptiles other than snakes, encompassing over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The grouping is paraphyletic as some lizards are more closely related to snakes than they are to other lizards. Lizards range in size from chameleons and geckos a few centimeters long to the 3-meter-long Komodo dragon.
A goanna is any one of several species of lizard of the genus Varanus found in Australia and Southeast Asia.
Hognose snake is a common name for several unrelated species of snakes with upturned snouts, classified in two colubrid snake families and one pseudoxyrhophiid snake family.
The eastern green mamba is a highly venomous snake species of the mamba genus Dendroaspis native to the coastal regions of southern East Africa. Described by Scottish surgeon and zoologist Andrew Smith in 1849, it has a slender build with a bright green back and green-yellow ventral scales. Adult females average around 2 metres in length, and males are slightly smaller.
The Cape cobra, also called the yellow cobra, is a moderate-sized, highly venomous species of cobra inhabiting a wide variety of biomes across southern Africa, including arid savanna, fynbos, bushveld, desert, and semidesert regions.
Causus maculatus is viper species found mainly in West- and Central Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized. Common names include forest rhombic night adder, West African night adder and spotted night adder. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
Causus rhombeatus, commonly known as the rhombic night adder, is a viper species endemic to subsaharan Africa. No subspecies are currently recognized. Like all other vipers, it is venomous.
The California whipsnake, also known as the striped racer, is a colubrid snake found in habitats of the coast, desert, and foothills of California.
Burton's legless lizard is a species of lizard in the family Pygopodidae. The species lacks forelegs and has only rudimentary hind legs. Pygopodid lizards are also referred to as "legless lizards", "flap-footed lizards" and "snake-lizards". This species is native to Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The yellow-faced whip snake is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae, a family containing many dangerous snakes. D. psammophis is endemic to Australia, found throughout the continent in a variety of habitats from coastal fringes to interior arid scrubland.
Demansia is a genus of venomous snakes of the family Elapidae. Members of the genus are commonly known as whip snakes or whipsnakes, as are members of several other genera.
Diplodactylus vittatus, commonly known as the eastern stone gecko, stone gecko, and wood gecko, is a species of diplodactylid lizards that occurs in forest, shrubland and arid regions across Australia. It is widespread across the states of Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales, commonly found in dry peripheral bushlands. This gecko can be kept as a pet or seen within zoo enclosures.
Psammophylax is a genus of snakes of the family Psammophiidae.
Lycodonomorphus inornatus, commonly known as the olive house snake, the black house snake, and the olive ground snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the family Lamprophiidae. The species is endemic to southern Africa. It is a nocturnal snake with terrestrial habits.
Diplodactylus conspicillatus, also known commonly as the variable fat-tailed gecko or the burrow-plug gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Diplodactylidae. The species is endemic to Australia, where it is found in central and arid inland areas. Widespread across the continent, the variable fat-tailed gecko is most commonly found in sandy desert habitats dominated by spinifex grasses. It has also been bred in captivity by zoos and as pets.
The Alameda whipsnake, also known as the Alameda striped racer, is a federally threatened subspecies of California whipsnake. It is a colubrid snake distinguishable by its broad head, large eyes, black and orange coloring with a yellow stripe down each side, and slender neck. The California whipsnake is found in California's northern and coastal chaparral. The Alameda whipsnake is a wary creature known for its speed and climbing abilities utilized when escaping predators or hunting prey. In winter months, the Alameda whipsnake hibernates in rock crevices and rodent burrows.
The Koeberg Nature Reserve is located in the Western Cape province of South Africa, about 30 kilometres north of Cape Town. The reserve was proclaimed in 1991 to create a buffer zone around the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station and protect the surrounding natural habitat. It is adjacent to the Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve.
