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Science

The cabinet of reptile curiosities

There are currently about 11,500 known reptile species. The variety of shapes and colors knows no bounds. And they adapt perfectly to their habitat — whether in the desert, the rainforest, or by the sea.

  • A tiny male chameleon sits on a human finger

    Tiny - but a big discovery

    Brookesia nana is the name of the smallest known reptile in the world. It was discovered in January 2021. Its tiny length of 13.5 to 19 millimeters and brown coloration make it barely noticeable on the forest floor. The tiny chameleon lives in a remote northern part of Madagascar. So far, this mini reptile is a loner — no other specimen of its kind has yet been found.

  • Madagascar Day Gecko on a leaf

    Perfect Camouflage

    Spotted this mini lizard? With its green color, the small, grass-green day gecko barely stands out from the foliage. This genus has no eyelids. Over the course of evolution, the upper and lower eyelids have fused to form a transparent membrane. You're most likely to encounter the small animals on the islands of the Indian Ocean or Madagascar.

  • Thorny Devil lizard.

    Don't pet me!

    The thorny devil lives up to its name: Its entire body is covered in thorns. The lizard only lives in Australia. It is perfectly adapted to life in the dry: The creases on its body transport rain and condensation water directly into its mouth.

  • Frill-necked lizard

    I am bigger than you think!

    That's what the frill-necked lizard (chlamydosaurus) tries to communicate when it erects its skin flaps on the neck, threatening predators or rivals. The ruff is up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter. Frill-necked lizards belong to agama family and live exclusively in Australia and New Guinea.

  • Panther chameleon

    A master of colors

    Another representative from the species-rich Madagascar: Panther chameleons are among the most colorful of their kind. The color spectrum ranges from gray to green to pink and purple. Panther chameleons are known for their crest, which runs along the entire length of their back, ending in an extension of the nose.

  • Jackson's three-horned chameleon

    A mini-triceratops

    Somewhat smaller than its dinosaur counterpart, Jackson's three-horned chameleon measures 38 centimeters (15 inches) in body length. Still, the males of this species are significantly larger than many of its relatives. Jackson's chameleon is native to the mountain rainforests of East Africa.

  • Marine iguana in water (Amblyrhynchus cristatus albemarlensis)

    An algae-diver on Galapagos

    The marine iguana of the Galapagos Islands is a remarkable diver. It forages underwater for up to 30 minutes. During this time, its heartbeat slows to ten beats per minute. Its skin is usually dark so that it warms up as quickly as possible after swimming in cold water.

  • Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis),

    Giant dragon

    The largest living lizard weighs up to 70 kilograms (154 pounds)! Even deer and wild boar are not too big for the komodo dragon to hunt down as prey. Its secret weapon is its poisonous saliva, which reduces blood clotting and can lead to shock. The komodo dragon lives exclusively on the smaller islands of Indonesia.

  • Green tree python

    A lover of good vantage points

    The green tree python likes to live with a view. It has a unique habit of wrapping itself around branches at heights of up to 25 meters (82 feet). Hidden like this, it lurks for potential prey. The striking green animals live in northern Australia and New Guinea.

  • Common egg-eater snake, after having swallowed the egg of a quail.

    Small head - big effect

    The common egg eater snake is an impressive example of how appearances can be deceiving. The skin around its jaw can be stretched to three to four times its original size. The snake, which is barely as thick as a thumb, can even swallow chicken eggs whole. Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, where the snake hunts for prey, need to watch out for them.

  • Mata Mata turtle

    Camouflaged turtle

    At first glance, the appearance of this mata mata seems anything but intentional. But the skin flaps on the body are ingenious: Because of them, the turtle living in the fresh water of South America appears virtually invisible under water. Any chameleon would be green with envy!


  • A tiny male chameleon sits on a human finger

    Tiny - but a big discovery

    Brookesia nana is the name of the smallest known reptile in the world. It was discovered in January 2021. Its tiny length of 13.5 to 19 millimeters and brown coloration make it barely noticeable on the forest floor. The tiny chameleon lives in a remote northern part of Madagascar. So far, this mini reptile is a loner — no other specimen of its kind has yet been found.

  • Madagascar Day Gecko on a leaf

    Perfect Camouflage

    Spotted this mini lizard? With its green color, the small, grass-green day gecko barely stands out from the foliage. This genus has no eyelids. Over the course of evolution, the upper and lower eyelids have fused to form a transparent membrane. You're most likely to encounter the small animals on the islands of the Indian Ocean or Madagascar.

  • Thorny Devil lizard.

    Don't pet me!

    The thorny devil lives up to its name: Its entire body is covered in thorns. The lizard only lives in Australia. It is perfectly adapted to life in the dry: The creases on its body transport rain and condensation water directly into its mouth.

  • Frill-necked lizard

    I am bigger than you think!

    That's what the frill-necked lizard (chlamydosaurus) tries to communicate when it erects its skin flaps on the neck, threatening predators or rivals. The ruff is up to 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter. Frill-necked lizards belong to agama family and live exclusively in Australia and New Guinea.

  • Panther chameleon

    A master of colors

    Another representative from the species-rich Madagascar: Panther chameleons are among the most colorful of their kind. The color spectrum ranges from gray to green to pink and purple. Panther chameleons are known for their crest, which runs along the entire length of their back, ending in an extension of the nose.

  • Jackson's three-horned chameleon

    A mini-triceratops

    Somewhat smaller than its dinosaur counterpart, Jackson's three-horned chameleon measures 38 centimeters (15 inches) in body length. Still, the males of this species are significantly larger than many of its relatives. Jackson's chameleon is native to the mountain rainforests of East Africa.

  • Marine iguana in water (Amblyrhynchus cristatus albemarlensis)

    An algae-diver on Galapagos

    The marine iguana of the Galapagos Islands is a remarkable diver. It forages underwater for up to 30 minutes. During this time, its heartbeat slows to ten beats per minute. Its skin is usually dark so that it warms up as quickly as possible after swimming in cold water.

  • Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis),

    Giant dragon

    The largest living lizard weighs up to 70 kilograms (154 pounds)! Even deer and wild boar are not too big for the komodo dragon to hunt down as prey. Its secret weapon is its poisonous saliva, which reduces blood clotting and can lead to shock. The komodo dragon lives exclusively on the smaller islands of Indonesia.

  • Green tree python

    A lover of good vantage points

    The green tree python likes to live with a view. It has a unique habit of wrapping itself around branches at heights of up to 25 meters (82 feet). Hidden like this, it lurks for potential prey. The striking green animals live in northern Australia and New Guinea.

  • Common egg-eater snake, after having swallowed the egg of a quail.

    Small head - big effect

    The common egg eater snake is an impressive example of how appearances can be deceiving. The skin around its jaw can be stretched to three to four times its original size. The snake, which is barely as thick as a thumb, can even swallow chicken eggs whole. Farmers in sub-Saharan Africa, where the snake hunts for prey, need to watch out for them.

  • Mata Mata turtle

    Camouflaged turtle

    At first glance, the appearance of this mata mata seems anything but intentional. But the skin flaps on the body are ingenious: Because of them, the turtle living in the fresh water of South America appears virtually invisible under water. Any chameleon would be green with envy!


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