Reptiles

It is the only crocodilian species known for being able to climb as high as several meters into the limbs of trees fallen along streams.

The male is strikingly coloured, with light blue to white bands on a bright green background. Females are more uniformly green.

The Rhinoceros Iguana gets its name from its outgrowths, like horns, on the end of it's nose. These large, heavy bodied lizards are dusky- grey or olive green with dark cross bands that are often barely visible. They have three horny bumps on the snout, which are more pronounced in males. The average adult is 2 feet in length.

Female green anacondas are almost five times heavier than males.

Their huge size can make it difficult for them to move on land, however, in water they can move with stealth and ease.

The giant Asian pond turtle is one of the largest hard-shelled, semi-aquatic turtles.

The most significant threat that the giant Asian pond turtle faces is the continued uncontrolled trade in freshwater turtles in south-east Asia, which is pushing them towards extinction.

Emerald tree monitors are the only monitor lizard with a prehensile tail, which allows them to be highly arboreal.

Like all iguanas, the green iguana has long toes, ending in long, sharp claws, which allow them to grip onto branches and also enables the females to burrow.

The yellow-footed tortoise is often mistaken for its red-footed counterpart as they are both large reptiles with attractive shells, however, yellow-footed tortoises are distinctive as their shell is more oval in shape, and tends to be wider and more rounded. The carapace is usually yellowish-brown with shades of dark brown on the edges of individual scutes.

The African spurred tortoise gets its name from the two or three large spurs on its legs. It is the largest mainland tortoise, reaching shell lengths of up to 88cm! These tortoises have very thick skin to help prevent them from losing too much moisture. This is important in such a hot, dry climate.

The Aldabra giant tortoise is indeed a giant, with individuals reaching over one metre in length!

We have one male and one female Burmese pythons housed in the Wilds of Asia exhibit.

The Burmese python are capable of reaching 23 feet or more in length and can weigh up to 200 pounds!

The Komodo dragon is classified as endangered on the IUCN Red List and listed on Appendix I of CITES; their number has declined in the wild due to the threat of widespread habitat loss, a loss of prey species and hunting.