Water Monitors are members of the Varanid family, which includes the largest and heaviest of all lizards. They rank just below the Komodo dragon in size, reaching over 180cm in length. As their name suggests, they are rarely found far from water and are powerful swimmers. This ability has allowed them to colonize many islands in the Indonesian Archipelago. They are also string climbers capable of leaping from tree to tree when attempting to escape from predators. Water monitors breed all year round, with the female laying between 6-20 eggs, depending on her size. These are deposited in tree hollows and disused animal burrows. Another popular location is inside termite mounds, requiring their powerful front legs and sharp claws to excavate walls.

Also known as Cuvier’s smooth-fronted caiman, this crocodilian is solitary and nocturnal. They have short, backward-curved teeth, which help to catch invertebrates and crustaceans. They have a dark brown back and a lighter coloured head, which helps them to camouflage into the surrounding area.

This lizard is grayish-brown with white spots on the head and back and a distinctive white-bordered black collar around the neck. Males have a blue-green sheen to their backs and a blue chin, throat and belly during mating season.Young animals and females lack this colouration. They are good climbers of rocks and trees, but can also often be found on the ground. They are called spiny lizards because of their large, pointed scales. The spines may deter some predators. The tail can break off as an escape mechanism.

The Gila monster is a heavy, slow-moving venomous lizard. It is the largest extant lizard native to North America north of the Mexican border. The name “Gila” refers to the Gila River Basin in the U.S. states of New Mexico and Arizona, where Gila monsters were once plentiful. The body of these lizards is covered with bumpy looking scales which are called osteoderms; they are black and orange or pink in color and are actually small bones under the scales.

These snakes are called ball pythons in America because of their defensive posture, coiling into a tight ball with their heads protected in the center. The name royal python is believed to be derived from the fact that many African rulers were known to have worn live pythons as jewelry.

Crested geckos are among the largest gecko species. Among the most distinctive features of these geckos are the hair-like projections found above the eyes, which greatly resemble eyelashes. Crested geckos also have two rows of small spines that run from the sides of their wedge-shaped head to the base of their tail. The toes have small claws which aid in climbing surfaces to which their toes cannot cling.

Corn snakes, sometimes called red rat snakes, are slender, usually orange or brownish-yellow snakes with a pattern of large, red blotches outlined in black down their backs. Due to their popularity in the pet trade, there are many more colour variations of this species available in captivity.

This lizard is found in trees, searching for food. They use their strong claws to grip and their tail for balance. Males have blue or green stripes along their body. Females are usually solid green but may have a few white or pale blue spots. These colours help them camouflage when they rest in the sun. Females dig burrows in