reptile adventure
guidebook
max length 9 feet max weight 100 pounds hatch ling size 1 foot long
They are called water monitors for a reason, because their huge tail, 1. 5 times the leng th of their body, ser ves as the per fect rudder making them agile swimmers.
Varanus species salvator genus
habitat
lifespan
25 years
tropical forests
swimming
Adult female water monitors can lay up to 40 eg gs a year spread across multiple clutches protected in prexisting mounds or self made burrows well above the water level. In the wild, groups of mothers have even been found to lay their eg gs together in one large mound.
Although males can grow quite large, female Asian Water Monitors are usually only about half the size ma xing out around 40lbs. favorite food
south east asia
hobby
native range
rusty asian water monitor eggs & raw meats
As a scavenger & extreme carnivore in the wild, these monitors feast on any kind of meat they can get their claws on, including small prey and eg gs.
rusty's little bro frank stars as kipling on disney 's JEssie
veggies & bugs
favorite foods
native range
beardo bearded dragon
max length 2 feet
austraila
hatch ling size 3 inches long
habitat
lifespan
10 years woodland & desert
Bearded dragons received their common name for the spikes and scales covering their body which are uniquely designed as a defense mechanism. Although they might look ver y sharp and prickly, Bearded Dragons feel more like smooth sand paper... that is until they get anxious. When feeling threatened or at tempting to show dominance, Bearded Dragons will f lat ten their body and darken their throat to appear larger, but to humans it looks more like they forgot to shave for a couple days. did you know?
Pogona species vitticeps genus
What is in a name
"beard" aka throat flares & darkens as a defense mechanism.
there are 9 species of bearded dragons
In their native habitat of Australia you can f ind 9 dif ferent species of bearded dragons. Many of which are not readily available here in the United States or even commonly found in Australia. These Bearded Dragons are localized to dif ferent regions of the countr y and have many var ying characteristics including size, color, build and pat tern.
Bearded Dragons are omnivorous, meaning they eat both animal and plant mat ter. Beardies enjoy a variet y of bugs including crickets, worms and even roaches. It is always impor tant to remove any uneaten prey from the cage to protect the lizard from get ting bit ten or stressed.
What the There skink? is a wide variet y Tiliqua species scincoides
habitat
lifespan
genus
20 years
grasslands
of skinks found around the world, over 1,40 0 species, but even with all of this variet y, they still share a few physical characteristics. Members of this family are usually covered in smooth scales which protect unique bony plates. The body structure of a skink is most distinctive with no pronounced neck , relatively small legs and long tapering tails ,which they can shed and regenerate if necessar y.
hatch ling size 6 inches long
What is in a name
Look at my tongue
Like many reptiles, Blue Tongue Skinks rely on a ver y unique built in feature to help in defense against predators. Because they are not the fastest or largest creatures out there, Blue Tongue Skinks tr y to distract predators by turning towards them and sticking out their bright blue tongue.
meats & greens
did you know?
austraila & new guinea
max length 2 feet
favorite foods
native range
smurf blue tongue skink
blue tongued skinks are ovoviviparous
It’s a complicated word, which in its simplest form means instead of hatching from external eg gs, like chickens and many reptiles, the babies leave the mother already hatched and ready to go. For Blue Tongue skinks the gestation period, leng th of pregnancy, is about 10 0 days. During this time the mother skink produces internal eg gs which contain the skinks. Before bir thing the babies they actually hatch inside the mother, giving the illusion of an actual live bir th. Each hatching group can include up to 25 babies who look exactly like miniature versions of their proud parents.
& thing 2 thing 1 baby african spur thigh tortoises
native range
Adult female tor toises will lay up to 5 clutches of 10 -30 eg gs each year with each incubation lasting for 10 0+ days.
central africa
max weight 100-200 pounds
hatch ling size less than 2 inches wide
ge ochelone species sulcata
habitat
100+ years
grasslands
shells up dude!
What is in a name
A tor toises’ shell can help to determine gender, but it can take up to 5 years to grow large enough, at least 12 inches, to show markers. By examining the bot tom side you will notice female’s shells are f lat while male’s will be concave. During their extremely long life, over 10 0 years, they maintain a completely vegetarian diet grazing on all t ypes of greens. They are able to consume their body size of food in one sit ting.
favorite foods
lifespan
genus
Look at my arms
They receive their name from their built in protective leg armour. When scared, Sulcatas will pull their body into their shell and cover their face with these strong limbs.
veggies,veggies,& veggies
3
rd
largest tortoise species
BIG RED ROSY BOA
early bird catches the .... In the deser ts of the Southern United States, the f irst sign of spring is the return of the Rosy Boa from their burmation period .
united states & mEXICO
habitat
20 years
desertS
two of a kind
hatch ling size 1 foot long
Rosy Boas make up one of the only t wo species of boas found in all of Nor th America , the second being the Ruber Boa and each of these species are native right in our own back yard. There are several localities of Rosy Boas found throughout Baja California and Mexico. Rosy Boas originally received their name for some localities rosy pink color. There is now known to be a wild variet y with unique pat terns and colors which can be broken up into deser t with a clean striped pat tern or coastal with more jag ged stripe lines. do you know?
Lichanura species trivirgata genus
lifespan
native range
max length 4 feet
the difference between boas and Pythons?
Burmation is similar to hibernation, but instead of complete inactivit y, their activit y is limited. They do not feed during this period as it is potentially lethal. Being cold-blooded, their metabolism, and thus their abilit y to digest , is dependant on the environment around them. At low temperatures, it is likely that the food item will begin to decompose and rot before it is digested.
Unlike most reptiles, boas have live bir ths rather than eg gs, classif ied as an ovoviviparous mode of reproduction. Af ter burmation, the Rosy Boa will begin to breed in May or June and give bir th to an average of 6 -13 young ones which develop fast before the subsequent winter season.
chase california
native range
max length 5 feet
hatch ling size 1 foot long
united states & mEXICO
buried treasures
Lampropeltis species getula
habitat
20 years
grasslands
kingsnakes are immune to rattlesnakes Not only do kingsnakes eat other snakes, they are highly resistant to rat tlesnake venom keeping them safe from toxic bites during at tack.
Kingsnakes are found in a variet y of habitats, but they always prefer to be fossorial. Fossorial means they live in underground hideaways like crevices of rocks and animal burrows which protect them from the elements and other predators. favorite foods
lifespan
genus
did you know?
kingsnake
anything and everything!
Known for their “cast-iron� stomachs, kingsnakes aren’t pick y when it comes to their next meal. Besides eating other snakes, kings will also dine on lizards, rodents, birds and eg gs, counting on their strong stomach acids to dissolve them. Once food is located by scent , the snake strikes with a quick bite, rapidly coils its body around the prey and tightens until the prey cannot breathe any more.
real california We share our hometown with some pret t y amazing reptiles just like Chase. If you see them in the wild, take the chance to carefully obser ve, but it is always best to leave them safely in their natural habitat .
popcorn corn snake
snakes: friend or foe
max length 5 feet united states
Pantherophis species guttatus genus
habitat
lifespan
10 years
forests
A TONGUE THAT DOES MORE THAN HISS Indeed snakes can smell with their nostrils, just as we can, but its the tongue that is the big gest prop. When the tongue is f licked out into the air, receptors on the tongue pick up minuscule chemical par ticles, which are perceived as scent . The tips of the tongue f it neatly into the Jacobson’s organ, sending the chemical information that has been gathered to the brain, where the information is processed and analy zed so the snake can act promptly on it . A holdover from when farmers stored har vested ears of corn where rats and mice could easily nibble and corn snakes frequently fed on the rodents and therefore protected the crop. The checkered pat tern on the bot tom of the snake also mimics the color ful pat tern of traditional maize.
What is in a name
native range
hatch ling size 1 foot long
FARMER'S security
Although many people hold an irrational fear of snakes, they make great pets for families with allergies, special needs or limited outdoor space. Corn Snakes are some of the most popular for their docile disposition. Pet snakes can be kept securely in enclosures with ever y thing they need: heat , a hide and water with lit tle to no maintenance. Just spot clean any messes they make, ref ill water and feed them once a week. That’s right , they only need food once a week! As babies, these snakes can be squirmy, but as they grow they become less active and open to holding.
south east asia the most gentle of the giants
native range
bob burmese python
Python species bivittatus
habitat
lifespan
genus
hatch ling size 1 foot long
max length 23 feet max weight 200 pounds
Among the 3 largest species of snake species in the world, which also includes Reticulated P y thons and Anacondas, the Burmese P y thon is recognized as the most gentle of these giants making them the ideal candidate for educational events of fering interactivit y with guests around the world.
20 years
tropical forests
Ever wonder how big a snakes prey can be and how they do it? A snake’s jawbones are specially designed to spread apar t like sticks tied together with rubber bands, expanding large enough to consume prey up to f ive times the size of it’s head. Which doesn’t mean they are always looking for food that large, actually a bet ter way to estimate a healthy size meal is to match the prey’s diameter to the snakes’ thickest segment .
big stomach big mouth
reptile adventure
guidebook
created in spring 2013 for prehistoric inc. training purposes by team at the reptile zoo in fountain valley, california