There are more than 400 species of geckos, including this Henkels leaf-tailed gecko. Next, see an up close shot of a yellow snake, sometimes called an adder.
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A bright yellow eyelash viper (Bothriechis schlegelii) is showing its loreal pits, which it uses to detect heat. Which reptile is the slowest of all? See it next.
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Tortoises, like this Angonoka tortoise (Geochelone yniphora), are turtles that strictly live on land. They never dip their head underwater or bathe for long periods. See a reptile that closely resembles the alligator next.
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Caimans resemble alligators in appearance, with their thick, tapering tails and elongated snouts. Caimans are generally smaller, averaging about 4 to 6 feet (1.3 to 1.8 meters). Slither over to see a primitive snake from tropical Asia and Africa next.
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Pythons, like this albino Burmese python, aren't poisonous but they can inflict severe wounds with their long, sharp teeth. Next, see a much less harmful reptile.
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Also known as the "Jesus Christ lizard," the common basilisk (Basiliscus basiliscus) is able to run across water. Which reptile has the ability to change color and to move each eye independently? See this creature next.
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A chameleon's color change is involuntary, contrary to common belief, and is brought about by light, temperature and nervous stimulation, such as anger or fear. Next, see the smallest members of the iguana family.
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Like some other lizards, such as green iguanas, male anoles have colorful throat flaps called dewlaps. They fan their dewlaps when they want to attract females or scare off rival males. Find out which snake's name means "hooded snake" in Portuguese next.
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When disturbed, the cobra, like this Cape cobra, assumes a position for attack by raising about a third of its body off the ground and inflating its neck into a hood. See which lizard resembles an armadillo next.
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The armadillo lizard, like the armadillo, rolls itself into a ball for protection. Slither on over to the next image to see a poisonous snake with a deep pit on each side of its head.
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Pit vipers, such as this yellow-lined species, have pits that are sensitive to heat and help detect warm-blooded prey, such as birds and rodents. There are only two species of iguana in the South Pacific. Find one of them next.
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Most lizards, like this crested iguana, have difficulty digesting plants. Bacteria, which scientists believe the baby iguanas acquire from eating the feces of their adult counterparts, help the process along. See one of the deadliest snakes next.
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The black mamba gets its name from the color of its mouth. One of the quickest and largest snakes, it averages 8 feet (2.4 meters) but can grow to be more than 14 feet (4.3 meters) long. Find out which is the largest living reptile next.
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Crocodiles can live in saltwater because they have salt glands on their tongues. Extra salt from food or water leaves the crocodile's body through these salt glands. Find an aurally stimulating snake next.
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This snake is ready to strike. At the end of its tail is a hard rattle. A dry, rattling buzz warns you to stay away! It's the rattle and its warning sound that gave the rattlesnake its name. Find out which reptile has a shell but no teeth next.
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Box turtles are different from many other turtles because they have a hinge on the bottom of their shell. They can pull their legs, head and tail into their shell to close up and "box" themselves inside. Find a constricting snake next.
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The boa constrictor, like the emerald tree boa, seizes its prey with great speed and, holding on with its teeth, coils its body around the prey, cuts off its breathing and eventually swallows it whole. Which reptile walks on ceilings? Find out.
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Fantastic leaf-tailed geckos and the rest of the gecko species have hairs on the underside of their toes that help the animals climb and cling. Find out which snake is named for its lance-shaped head next.
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The fer-de-lance hides in a hole in the ground or under plants during the day and hunts at night. It preys on small mammals, birds, frogs and lizards. Do snakes scare you? How about tens of thousands of them at once?
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Canadian red-sided garter snakes are engaging in a mating ball, in which thousands of these snakes emerge from hibernation to mate. See a large reptile, related to the crocodile, that you've probably never heard of before.
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Gavials, or gharials, are found near rivers in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Which snake has an upturned snout, which it uses to burrow for toads? Find out.
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The hognose snake is also called the puff adder because it flattens its head and neck, inflates its body with air and hisses loudly when disturbed. See animal camouflage at its finest next.
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The chameleon, like this horned leaf species, has cells underneath its skin that contain pigment. By increasing the size of certain pigment cells and decreasing the size of others, the chameleon changes color. See the largest living lizard next.
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The Komodo dragon mainly eats dead animals, but it also hunts large prey. It has been known to eat deer, wild pigs, goats, water buffaloes and even the occasional human! See another large iguana that's found in the Galapagos Islands next.
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Iguanas have a special organ within the roof of their mouth, called the Jacobson's organ. This organ may help these reptiles decipher whether another iguana is male or female. It also helps them test possible foods. Find a chameleon turned white next.
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This Namaqua chamaeleon demonstrates thermoregulation -- it makes itself white to reflect light during the hot days in the desert. See the smallest chameleon species next.
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The nosy be pygmy leaf chameleon (Brookesia minima) is the world's smallest chameleon. There are about 90 species of chameleon, which are native to Africa, Spain, Madagascar, India and Sri Lanka. Have you ever seen a two-headed snake? See one next.
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Rat snakes, like this two-headed Texas rat snake (Elaphe obsoleta lindheimerii), mainly dine on -- you guessed it -- rodents! Find a reptile that you wouldn't want to come face to face with in the ocean next.
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Sea snakes, like this olive sea snake (Aipysurus laevis), are venomous snakes that usually live exclusively in the ocean. See a much less harmful sea creature next.
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The sea turtle's sense of smell is its strongest sense. Some scientists believe that a sea turtle has a better sense of smell than that of a dog! See a blue-tongued reptile next.
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Skinks, like this eastern blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides), use their tails as protective devices. When seized, the tail easily breaks off and the skink can escape. See a reptile you might mistake for a snake next.
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Slowworms are limbless lizards that inhabit forests and grasslands in Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. Find another reptile that you also might mistake for a snake next.
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Burton's snake-lizards (Lialis burtonis) are found all over Australia. Catch up with a "land turtle" next.
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Tortoises, like this tent tortoise (Psammobates tentorius) are the most widely distributed of nonmarine turtles and perhaps the longest-living of all turtles. See a snake that can lay up to 100 eggs at a time next.
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These green tree pythons (Chondropython viridis), which are showing yellow and brown coloration, will eventually turn a bright green color. Which living reptile walked with the dinosaurs? Find out next.
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The tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) is the only surviving species of an order that flourished 200 million years ago in New Zealand. Finally, find the largest snake of all next.
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Anacondas average about 17 feet (5.2 meters) in length, but some can reach more than 30 feet (9.1 meters).
Now that you've seen how diverse the class Reptilia is, check out our list of 10 surprising threats to biodiversity.
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