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15 Most Bizarre Reptiles
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From the deadly Komodo Dragon, to an incredibly rare ivory alligator, these are 15 of the Most BIZARRE Reptiles ! • • Subscribe to Epic Wildlife http://goo.gl/6rzs5u • Let's Connect • -- http://www.epicadamwildlife.com/ • -- / epicadamwildlife • -- / epicwildlife • -- http://gplus.to/epicwildlife • • Thorny Dragon • Endemic to central Australia, these lizards are colored brown and tan, to better camouflage themselves within their desert environment. Their bodies are covered with sharp spines which discourage predators from eating them. While it also uses camouflage, the creature has another unique method to confuse predators … Upon feeling threatened, the dragon-like lizard will lower its head between its front legs … and presents a ‘false head’ made of soft tissue that is found on the back of the neck. • Frilled Neck Lizard • As you might expect, the creature’s name is inspired by the large frill about its neck. It normally stays folded against the animal’s body. When frightened, the creature will gape open its mouth, exposing a bright yellow or pink lining. Then its neck frill expands, showing off vibrant red and orange scales. The display is used for startling and scaring off predators, and for courtship. Did you know that while these critters spend a lot of time in the trees, they’re also capable of bipedal locomotion? • This lizard is known formally as a Mwanza (m’waan-zuh) Flat-Headed Rock Agama (ah-gamm-uh). They’re native to Tanzania, Kenya and Rwanda. And as you’ll note from their unique red and blue coloration, they bear a striking resemblance to Spider-Man! And because of that amazing resemblance, they’re often referred to as the ‘Spider-Man Agama’ … and have become popular choices as pets. A tourist in Africa snapped a picture of the lizard, just as it was assuming the classic superhero landing pose … or so it would appear. We’re told that the spectacular stance, along with its vibrant coloration, is actually the creature’s way of getting the attention of a potential mate. • Alligator Snapping Turtle • These are among the world’s heaviest freshwater turtles, and are known for their powerful jaws and ridged shell that is similar to the rough skin of an alligator. The big reptiles are a threatened species … and one particular animal in Houston nearly became extinct. A snapping turtle weighing 53 pounds managed to wedge itself in a drainage pipe near a residential development in Houston. Fire rescue crews were called in to save the animal. Once the pipe was unblocked, several other turtles were found to have drowned. This one was taken to a wildlife rehabilitation center to recover. Did you know this species has been known to bite human fingers clean off? • Does it simply look like a leaf? Good … that’s just what this creature wants you to think. The Flat Tailed Gecko is native to Madagascar … and they’re known to use their appearance as a camouflage device. Their bodies can assume the shape and color of the surrounding foliage … even down to details that make it resemble a decaying leaf! In various pictures we found, you can see how the gecko blends in with the dark tree bark … only its bugged eyes give it away (#1). Other pictures show how the creature looks amazingly leaf-like as it perches on a branch in a national park of Madagascar. Note how much it resembles the other brown leaves (#4). Likewise the gecko shown in the picture by Patricio Robles Gil … Pressed against a stick in the forest, the creature seamlessly blends in with the horizontal tan and white striping. You can just barely discern its eyes and mouth towards the bottom. (#5) • Ivory Alligator • This creature with the piercing blue eyes is said to one of only twelve such alligators in the world! The 22-year old male critter weighs around 500 pounds and is named Bouya Blan (pr) … which means ‘white fog’. He’s not an albino, though. The pale skin comes from a condition of leucism (luke-ism) … It causes a partial loss of pigmentation, as opposed to albinism, which causes a lack of melanin .. and produces the characteristic pink eyes. This guy is one of four such giant reptiles on display at the Gatorland Theme Park in Florida. Despite the rare genetic condition, the ivory colored animal is like any other alligator. But without skin pigmentation, leucistic (luke-ist-ick) creatures don’t last long in the wild. They have no natural camouflage … making it difficult for them to hunt prey … And increases the chances that they themselves are vulnerable to other predators!
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