This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The giant girdled lizard, aka sungazer, giant dragon lizard, ouvolk, and/or giant zonure, dwells in South Africa. These lizards, that appear to look more like dragons than lizards, face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of farming of products such as maize and sunflowers. They are […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Sudan plated lizard, aka western plated lizard, great plated lizard, or Broadley’s rough-scaled plated lizard, hails from eastern and central Africa. These lizards face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential developments, farming, and ranching. They are also collected for the pet trade, which […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Chinese softshell turtle hails from mainland China (Inner Mongolia to Guangxi, including Hong Kong) and Taiwan, with reports of escaped individuals who have established introduced populations in a variety of other Asian countries, as well as in Spain, Brazil, Hawaii, mainland United States, and more. In their native China […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The delicate skink, aka dark-flecked garden sun skink, garden skink, delicate garden skink, rainbow skink, plague skink, or metallic skink, while native to Australia, are invasive in New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, and Hawaii. These lizards face the threats of feral and domestic cats, that can sometimes wipe out entire […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The flatback sea turtle, aka Australian flatback sea turtle, is the only sea turtle listed as Data Deficient by the IUCN. These turtles hail from northern Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia. They face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial developments; over-collection […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Mexican beaded lizard, aka beaded lizard, is but 1 of 2 species of venomous lizards. The other being the Gila monster. The beaded lizard is larger and duller in coloration than the Gila monster. These lizards face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of farming, […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The tiger rattlesnake, aka tiger rattler, is a species of venomous pit viper that hails from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. The genus name Crotalus is Latin (hailing from the Greek krotalon) meaning “rattle”, “bell”, or “castanet” and their specific name tigris, (coming from the Latin name for […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The Asian giant softshell turtle, aka Cantor’s giant softshell turtle or the frog-faced softshell turtle, vanished from most of their range in the 20th century. These turtles face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial developments, marine and freshwater aquaculture, mining, quarrying, dams […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The great desert skink, aka Kintore’s egernia or tjakura, hails from the western half of Australia. They create burrows and are social as well. These lizards face the threats of predation by invasive feral cats and red foxes; habitat loss and destruction at the hands of fires and fire suppression; […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.

This article was originally published on Critter Science.

The black-tailed rattlesnake, aka green rattler or northern black-tailed rattlesnake, dwells in Mexico and southwestern United States. These rattlers face the threats of habitat loss and destruction at the hands of residential and commercial developments, farming, and ranching; division of habitats via roads and railroads, that can result in vehicle […]

Thanks for reading! Follow Critterman for more updates and insights.