The mugger (Crocodylus palustris ) is a crocodile of medium to large size with the broadest snout of all the living members of the genus Crocodylus. It lives in the Indian subcontinent as well as other countries in southern Asia. Like most...
The Common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) is a small lizard native to Southeast Asia. They are named so because they are often seen climbing walls of houses and other buildings in search of insects attracted to porch lights and are immediately...
The Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) is a species of large sea turtle of the family Cheloniidae. The common name of this species refers to the usually green fat found beneath its carapace, not to the color of its carapace, which is olive to black....
Russell's viper (Daboia russelii) is a venomous snake found in Asia. The species is named for Patrick Russell, a Scottish herpetologist who first described many of India's snakes. In Bengali, this snake is called Chandroborha since it carries...
The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta ), is a species of oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around 90 cm (35 in) in carapace length when...
The Indian cobra (Naja naja) is a large highly venomous snake and is a member of the "big four" species that inflict the most snakebites on humans in India. The Indian cobra is revered in Indian mythology and culture and is often seen with snake...
The Brahminy blind snake (Indotyphlops braminus) is a nonvenomous blind snake species found mostly in Africa and Asia. It has also been introduced in many other parts of the world. They are completely fossorial (i.e., burrowing) animals, with habits...
The olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea ), also known commonly as the Pacific ridley sea turtle, is a species of turtle in the family Cheloniidae. The species is the second-smallest and most abundant of all sea turtles found in the world....
The Bengal monitor (Varanus bengalensis) is a large terrestrial monitor lizard. Young monitors, however, may be more arboreal, but adults mainly hunt on the ground. Although large Bengal monitors have few predators apart from humans who hunt them...
The Common leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius) is a ground-dwelling lizard. The leopard gecko has become a popular pet, and due to extensive captive breeding it is sometimes referred to as the first domesticated species of lizard.
The Russian tortoise (Testudo horsfieldii) is a threatened species of tortoise found only in Central Asia. Human activities in its native habitat contribute to its threatened status.
The Oriental ratsnake (Ptyas mucosa) is a common non-venomous species of colubrid snake found in South and Southeast Asia. It is the second largest snake in Sri Lanka, after the Indian rock python. Rat snakes are diurnal, semi-arboreal and...
The Indian star tortoise (Geochelone elegans) is a threatened tortoise species. Its name comes from the star-like patterns that feature on its high-domed shell. Because of these very distinctive patterns and its highly rounded shell, the Indian star...
The Indian saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus) is a venomous viper species native to Asia. It is the smallest member of the big four snakes that are responsible for causing the most snakebite cases and deaths.
The Indian python (Python molurus) is a large, nonvenomous python species. It is known by the common names Black-tailed python, Indian rock python, and Asian rock python.
The Yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus) is a venomous species of snake found in tropical oceanic waters around the world except for the Atlantic Ocean. It is one of the most widely distributed snakes in the world. Yellow-bellied sea snakes...
The Oriental garden lizard (Calotes versicolor) is an agamid lizard found in indo-Malaya. It has also been introduced in many other parts of the world. The Oriental garden lizard is an insectivore and the male gets a bright red throat in the...
The Indian sand boa (Eryx johnii) is a nonvenomous snake native to Western and South Asia. This species is also known as John's sand boa, erutaley nagam, mannoli pambu, Red sand boa, and Brown sand boa.
The Caspian cobra (Naja oxiana ), also called the Central Asian cobra, ladle snake, Oxus cobra, or Russian cobra is a species of venomous snake in the family Elapidae. The species is endemic to Central Asia. Described by Karl Eichwald in 1831, it...
The checkered keelback (Fowlea piscator ), also known commonly as the Asiatic water snake, is a common species in the subfamily Natricinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia. It is non-venomous.
The Indian flapshell turtle (Lissemys punctata ) is a freshwater species of turtle found in South Asia. The "flap-shelled" name stems from the presence of femoral flaps located on the plastron. These flaps of skin cover the limbs when they retract...
Macrovipera lebetinus is a venomous viper species found in North Africa, much of the Middle East, and as far east as Kashmir. Five subspecies are currently recognized, including the nominate race described here.
The dice snake (Natrix tessellata ) is a Eurasian nonvenomous snake belonging to the family Colubridae, subfamily Natricinae. It is also called water snake.
Lycodon aulicus, commonly known as the Indian wolf snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake found in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Early naturalists have suggested its resemblance to the venomous common krait as an instance of Batesian mimicry.
The Desert monitor (Varanus griseus ) is a species of monitor lizards of the order Squamata.
The banded kukri snake (Oligodon arnensis) is a nonvenomous colubrid found mainly in South Asia.
The Common trinket snake (Coelognathus helena) is a nonvenomous constrictor species of colubrid snake native to South Asia. The specific name of this snake, 'helena', is thought to be a reference to Helen of Troy, considered by many to be the...
The Indian chameleon (Chamaeleo zeylanicus) is a species of chameleon found in South Asia. Chameleons are best known for their distinct range of colors, being capable of shifting to different hues and degrees of brightness.
The Black pond turtle (Geoclemys hamiltonii) is a freshwater turtle found only in South Asia. The part of its scientific name, hamiltonii, is in honor of Scottish botanist and ichthyologist Francis Hamilton.
Enhydrina schistosa, commonly known as the beaked sea snake, hook-nosed sea snake, common sea snake, or the Valakadeyan sea snake, is a highly venomous species of sea snake common throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific. This species is implicated in...
The buff striped keelback (Amphiesma stolatum ) is a species of nonvenomous colubrid snake found across Asia. It is the sole species of genus Amphiesma. It is a typically nonaggressive snake that feeds on frogs and toads. It belongs to the subfamily...
The Indian roofed turtle (Pangshura tecta ) is a species of turtle in the family Geoemydidae. It can be distinguished by the distinct "roof" at the topmost part of the shell. It is found in the major rivers of South Asia. It is a common pet in the...
Saara hardwickii, commonly known as Hardwicke's spiny-tailed lizard or the Indian spiny-tailed lizard is a species of lizard in the family Agamidae. The species is found in patches across the Thar desert, Kutch, and surrounding arid zones in India...
Indian softshell turtles (Nilssonia gangetica) are one of the largest freshwater turtle species in the world. They have many characteristics pertaining to their aquatic lifestyle. Indian softshell turtles are often maintained in the temple ponds of...
The Ocellated skink (Chalcides ocellatus) is a species of skink that lives in a wide variety of environments. It has very smooth scales and is capable of "sand-swimming" behavior.
The Common bronzeback (Dendrelaphis tristis) is a species of tree snake found in South and Southeast Asia. They are non-venomous and entirely harmless to humans.
The yellow monitor (Varanus flavescens ) or golden monitor is a monitor lizard native to South Asia.
Eryx conicus, also known as Russell's boa or the rough-scaled sand boa, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Erycinae of the family Boidae. The species is native to southern Asia. There are no subspecies which are recognised as being...
Boiga trigonata, commonly known as the Indian gamma snake or common cat snake, is a species of rear-fanged colubrid endemic to South Asia.
Eumeces schneiderii, commonly known as Schneider's skink or the Berber skink, is a species of lizard in the family Scincidae. The species is endemic to Central Asia, Western Asia, and North Africa. There are five recognized subspecies.
The Pondichéry fan-throated lizard (Sitana ponticeriana ) is a species of agamid lizard found in eastern peninsular India. It was earlier thought to be widespread but studies in 2016 resulted in the splitting of the group into several species placed...
Spalerosophis diadema, known commonly as the diadem snake and the royal snake, is a species of large snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is endemic to Asia and northern Africa.
