Class Reptilia

Reptiles

Scales, shells, and superpowers. Reptiles have walked the Earth for over 300 million years, and every single species is here.

All 12,650 known species are here, from the famous to the ones almost nobody has heard of.

Meet the stars

★ King CobraThe Mother on the Leaf MoundThe king cobra is the only snake on Earth that builds a nest for its eggs, sweeping leaves into a mound with loops of her own body.3 min story
★ Black MambaThe Snake Who Outran His NameThe black mamba wears gray; its famous name comes from the ink-black inside of its mouth, which it opens wide as a warning.3 min story
★ Green AnacondaThe Giant Who Waited for RainThe green anaconda is the heaviest snake in the world, and her babies are born alive in the water, swimming from their first minute.3 min story
★ Reticulated PythonThe Island That Needed a HushThe reticulated python is the longest snake on Earth and swims so well it can cross open sea to settle on far islands.3 min story
★ Paradise Flying SnakeThe Snake That Swims the SkyThe paradise flying snake flattens its body into a ribbon and glides between trees, steering in waves and even turning in mid-air.3 min story
★ Barbados ThreadsnakeThe Snake the World Called LostThe Barbados threadsnake, small enough to curl up on a coin, was feared lost for nearly twenty years until scientists lifted the right rock.3 min story
★ Komodo DragonThe Dragon Who Reads the WindThe Komodo dragon, the largest lizard alive, reads its island with a forked tongue and can smell a meal from kilometers away.3 min story
★ Panther ChameleonThe Battle Fought With LightA panther chameleon changes color with crystals in its skin, and two rivals can settle an entire argument using nothing but light.3 min story
★ Satanic Leaf-tailed GeckoThe Leaf That Was WatchingA gecko in Madagascar has a tail shaped exactly like a dead leaf, a disguise so perfect that searchers stare straight at it and see only leaves.3 min story
★ Thorny DevilThe Devil Who Drank the DawnThe thorny devil drinks through its skin, with tiny grooves between its thorns carrying dew and damp-sand water to the corners of its mouth.3 min story
★ Common Flying DragonThe Dragon Who Trusted the WindA real dragon the size of a pencil spreads its ribs into wings of skin and glides from tree to tree without flapping once.3 min story
★ Marine IguanaThe Lizard Who Grazes the SeaThe marine iguana is the only lizard on Earth that feeds in the sea, and in lean years it can shrink, skeleton and all, then grow back.3 min story
★ Gila MonsterThe Monster Who Carried MedicineA discovery in Gila monster saliva helped scientists create a medicine that now helps millions of people with diabetes.3 min story
★ Armadillo Girdled LizardThe Lizard Who Became a RingWhen danger comes, the armadillo girdled lizard bites its own tail and rolls into a spiky ring of armor that is almost impossible to grab.3 min story
★ Leatherback Sea TurtleThe Softest Shell in the SeaThe leatherback, the largest turtle on Earth, has a leathery back instead of a hard shell and can dive more than 1,000 meters on one breath.3 min story
★ Alligator Snapping TurtleThe Oldest Trick in the RiverThe alligator snapping turtle wiggles a worm-shaped piece of its own tongue as bait, and fish swim right into its open mouth.3 min story
★ Mata MataThe Turtle Made of LeavesThe mata mata looks exactly like a pile of dead leaves, and when a fish swims close it swallows it in one lightning-fast gulp of water.3 min story
★ Saltwater CrocodileThe Crocodile Who Rode the SeaThe saltwater crocodile, the largest reptile on Earth, crosses the open ocean by riding currents the way a surfer rides a wave.3 min story
★ GharialA Hundred Babies on His BackA father gharial guards the riverbank's hatchlings, and one male in India was seen carrying more than a hundred babies on his back at once.3 min story
★ TuataraThe Old One and the Third EyeThe tuatara hatches with a third eye on top of its head and belongs to a reptile family more than 200 million years old.4 min story
★ Green Sea TurtleThe Beach She Never ForgotA green sea turtle can cross about 2,000 kilometers of open ocean to nest on the very beach where she hatched, guided by Earth's magnetic field.4 min story
★ Galapagos Giant TortoiseA Very Old ItchGalapagos giant tortoises live more than 100 years and stand up tall so tiny finches can pick away the ticks they could never reach on their own.4 min story
★ American AlligatorThe Keeper of the Last PondIn the dry season, American alligators dig gator holes that hold the last water and keep fish, turtles, and wading birds alive until the rains return.4 min story
★ Nile CrocodileThe Song Beneath the SandA mother Nile crocodile hears her babies chirping under the sand, digs them out, and carries them to the river in one of the strongest jaws ever measured.4 min story
★ Frilled LizardTwo Heartbeats of BraveA startled frilled lizard flares a neck frill about 25 centimetres wide, then escapes by sprinting upright on its two back legs.3 min story
★ Leopard GeckoA Tail Full of WinterA leopard gecko stores winter fat in its tail, and if a predator grabs it, the tail snaps off, wriggles to distract, and later grows back.3 min story
★ Gaboon ViperMade of Fallen LeavesThe gaboon viper's fangs are about 5 centimetres long, the longest of any snake, yet its leaf-patterned skin makes it nearly invisible on the forest floor.3 min story
★ Boa ConstrictorThe Night of a Thousand WingsA boa constrictor can feel its prey's heartbeat while it squeezes, and it is one of the few animals whose scientific name matches its everyday name.3 min story
★ Green IguanaWhen the Shadow Crossed the SunA green iguana has a pale third eye on top of its head that senses light and shadow, warning it when a hawk's wings cross the sun.3 min story
★ Indian CobraTwo Moons on Her HoodThe Indian cobra's famous spectacle marking sits on the back of its hood, so the cobra herself can never see it.3 min story