Albino Burmese Python

Alligator Snapping Turtle

American Alligator

Green Anaconda

Binturong

Blue and Gold Macaw

Emperor Scorpion

European Legless Lizard

European Eagle Owl

Marine Toad

Nile Crocodile

Opossum

Reticulated Python

Striped Skunk

Spot Nose Guenon

Spotted Leopard

Spur Thigh Tortoise

Short-Eared Rock Wallaby

Indian pythons are divided into two recognized subspecies, which can be distinguished by physical characteristics. Burmese pythons, P. molurus bivitatus, can grow to lengths of about 7.6 m (25 ft), and can weigh as much as 137 kg (300 lbs). Indian pythons, P. molurus molurus, stays smaller, reaching a maximum of about 6.4 m (21 ft) in length and weighing as much as 91 kg (200 lbs). The hides of both subspecies are marked with a rectangular mosaic type pattern that runs the full length of the animal. P. molurus bivitatus is more darkly colored, with shades of brown and dark cream rectangles that lay over a black background. This subspecies is also characterized by an arrow-shaped marking present on the top of the head, which begins the pattern. P. molurus molurus has similar markings with light brown and tan rectangles placed over a typically cream background. P. molurus molurus only has a partial arrow-shaped marking on the top of the head. Each scale of P. molurus molurus is a single color.

The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in the world. It is characterized by three large, pronounced ridges that run from the front to the back of the carapace. It has powerful jaws and a large head, and it is unique among snapping turtles for having eyes on the side of its head. The alligator snapping turtle looks very primitive and has been called the dinosaur of the turtle world (Levine 1994).

The average size for an adult female is just under 3 m (9.8 ft), while the adult male usually falls between 4-4.5 m (13-14.7 ft). Legs of American alligators are characteristically short, though capable of carrying the animal at a gallop. The front legs have 5 toes while the back legs have only 4. Nostrils at the end of the snout allow for breathing while the alligator is fully submerged below the water. During hibernation, alligators keep these nostrils just above the water's surface, allowing the top part of the body to freeze in ice. They have an "armored" body with a muscular flat tail, used in propelling the animal forward while swimming. The skin on their back is armored with embedded bony plates called osteoderms or scutes. Adults have an olive brown or black color with a creamy white underside. The young can be distinguished from adults because they have bright yellow stripes on their tails. Eye color of American alligators is generally silverish (Britton 1999; Ross 1989).

Eunectes murinus is dark green (hence the name Green Anaconda) with alternating oval black spots. Similar spots with yellow-ochre centers are along the sides of its body. It has a large narrow head that is not distinct from the thick neck. Its eyes and nostrils are set on the top of its head, which allows it to see and breathe while mostly submerged. This species is a constrictor and not poisonous. Adults can grow to over 9 m. For its length, it is much heavier than other large constrictors; so if weight and length are considered, it is the largest snake in the world. It is mostly covered with scales and has spurs (small claw like appendages on either side of the cloaca. The pattern of scales found along the black and yellow underside of the lower tail are unique to each snake and can serve as a method of identification, much like the fingerprint (Coborn 1991; Encyclopedia Britannica 1995; Kemper 1996).

Arctictis binturong is found in dense forests ranging across northeastern India, Indochina, Indonesia, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Sumatra, Bangka, the Rhio Archipelago, Java, Borneo and Palawan (Ewer 1973; Kleiman 1974; Wemmer and Murtaugh 1981; Macdonald 1987; Nowak 1991).

Blue and Gold Macaws are brightly colored birds with feathers ranging in color bands from blue on their head and shoulders, to yellow on their chest and mid wing feathers, and blue on the wing tips and tail feathers. The face has short white feathers. This area surrounds the light yellow colored eyes. The long, thick beak is light on the top and dark black on the bottom. The legs and feet are also black (Aditays 2000). Body length is approximately 89 cm, with the tail comprising approximately 1/3-1/2 of this. Tail feathers of males may be longer than females. Also, bills of males may be slightly larger (Sick 1993).

The body of the scorpion is black and divided into two main sections. These are the cephalothorax and the abdomen. The abdomen is further subdivided, and includes a large section that makes up the tail. The tail also is divided into four to five sections and at the endmost point of the "tail" is a stinger. There are four pairs of yellow and black striped legs and two claws that are used for prey capture, battle and mating rituals. Most of the scorpion's body is covered with small hairs that act as sensory equipment. Euscorpius flavicaudis shares its features with virtually all other species of scorpions, but is unique due to its incredibly small size. As an adult the scorpion ranges in size from 35-45 mm in length. There is no sexual dimorphism (Benton, 18 May 1991; Highfield and August 14, 1995; Hjelle et al., 1990).

Anniellids are found in semi-arid regions in southern coastal California and Baja, Mexico. Anniellids burrow through loose, well-drained soil and leaf litter. Characters that distinguish anniellids from other Anguimorphs include extensive parietal downgrowths, reduction in the tympanic crest of the quadrate, loss of the interclavicle and reduction of the jugal. Anniellids have smooth scales and are cryptically colored, ranging from silvery to a darker beige. Anniellids are roughly pencil sized, about 20 cm or less, and thin of body. They can autotomize their tails to avoid predation. Anniellids burrow during day and may surface forage at night, although anniellids are rarely found on the surface. Anniellids eat insects and larvae. Domestic cats have been observed digging for these lizards; other predators include other omnivorous and carnivorous mammals, and raptors. The burrows that anniellids make may aid in soil aeration.

Eagle owls are the largest owls in the world, and they are best known for their large, striking, orange eyes. They are often called the Old World version of America's widely distributed great horned owl. They have prominent ear tufts and are primarily brown-black and tawny-buff in color. Their facial disk is heavily marked with black, gray and white. Their upper parts are darker than their lower parts, which have black streaks, and their throat is white. It is interesting to note that these owls become paler in the northeastern geographic regions and get progressively darker as you move to the Pacific coast. Also, size tends to decrease from north to south and east to west (Centre for the Conservation of Specialized Species, 2002; Konig, Becking, and Weick, 1999; The Peregrine Fund, 2003).

Bufo marinus has a grey olive brown dorsal skin with many warts ending in dark brown caps. The ventral skin tends to be a whitish yellow with dark brown speckles or mottles and is granular. Bufo marinus possesses huge paratoid glands stretching from the anterior side of the tympanum to halfway down the back. A high bony ridge meets at the snout between the nostrils. Bufo marinus, like other nocturnal species, has horizontal pupils. Bufo marinus can reach a maximum length of 238 millimeters, although generally is approximately 150 to 175 millimeters (Cogger 1983).

Crocodilians, along with birds, are the only survivors of the once-prevalent Archosauria. During the Mesozoic (245-65 million years ago), this group, including dinosaurs and other reptiles, dominated life on all continents and in the oceans. Most or all of crocodilians' adaptations had already evolved by the late Triassic (about 200 million years ago). Crocodilians are the most advanced surviving reptiles; many of their features are more similar to mammals or birds than to other reptiles. There are only a few members, and all modern crocodilians have adapted to a semi-aquatic life, although as recently as 3000 years ago there may have been a terrestrial crocodilian species on New Caledonia. Some crocodiles may venture into larger bodies of fresh or salt water, but all must lay their eggs on dry land. Most crocodilians live in the tropics. No crocodilians venture out of lowlands; it is speculated that none ever lived above 1000 meters (3260 feet) above sea level.

Opossums have a heavy set body that resembles a large house cat. They have a long head with a pointed snout. Their faces have long whiskers. All opossums have long, tapered tails with a scaly appearance. Females have a fur-lined pouch to carry their young (Baker 1983). The color of the opossum varies by the region. Northern populations have thick underfur that is white in color and has black tips. The pale guard hairs give the opossum a gray appearance. In southern populations, the underfur is much sparser. Both northern and southern populations have white cheek hairs (McManus 1974). Total length varies between 350 and 940 mm, tail length varies between 216 and 470mm. Males are larger than females with male weight ranging from 0.8 to 6.4 kg and female weight ranging from 0.3 to 3.7 kg (Wilson and Ruff 1999).

The reticulated python has a complex, geometric pattern, which incorporates a number of different colors. A series of irregular diamond shapes are positioned dorsally along the back, usually flanked with smaller markings which have light centers. The head of this species is unmarked with only a conspicuous line running from each eye to the angle of the jaws. (Mattison 1999). This is an extremely large snake, considered by many as the largest snake in the world (definitely the longest). Lengths of more than 16 ft are common and sizes of 25 ft or more occur regularly. The largest Reticulated python maintained in captivity was at the Pittsburgh Zoo; a 28.5 ft 320 lb female named Colossus. They are sexually dimorphic in size, as females attain larger sizes than males. The largest reticulated python ever measured was 32 ft 9.5 inches (Murphy and Henderson 1997). This is also a long lived snake; accounts of specimens 25 years old are commonplace in captivity.

Striped skunks are easily recognized by their characteristic colors and pattern. The fur is black with a white stripe that begins as a triangular shape on the top of the head, forks into two stripes that travel down the sides of the back, and usually merges again near the base of the tail. Another white stripe runs from the base of the snout between the eyes and ends on the forehead. Stripe width and length vary with each animal. Stripes sometimes occur on the tail, but more often the tail is composed of both black and white hairs intermixed. Mephitis mephitis is about the size of a domestic cat, with a small head, small ears, short legs, and a long, fluffy tail. Feet are plantigrade with 5 partially webbed toes. Claws are longer on the front feet to aid in digging. The skull is distinct from other carnivores in having only 1 molar on each side of the upper jaw and 2 on each side of the lower jaw. Total length varies between 575 and 800 mm, tail length from 173 to 307 mm.

Blue monkeys are small (ranging in weight from 4-6 kg) and arboreal. The face is nearly naked, usually dark in color (infrequently blue), and has well-developed musculature (Lawlor 1979). Cercopithecus mitis is also known as the diademed monkey because it has a prominent row of forward pointing white fur just above its brow line (Rudran 1978). White whiskers are well developed in males. Males are larger than females. These monkeys are catarrhine; the nostrils are close together and they face downward. They have cheek pouches to carry food while foraging (Rudran, 1978). The dental formula of C. mitis is 2/2 1/1 3/3 2/2=32. The nail on each digit is flattened, and the pollex is opposable (Lawlor 1979). The upper parts of the body are gray and the limbs are darker in appearance. Some young have indistinct russet-colored rump patches, which has not been seen in adults (Dorst and Dandelot 1970).

These cats have an elongate and muscular body, broad paws, and short ears. In tropical regions their coats tend to be shorter and sleeker; in colder climates their fur is longer and denser. The coloration varies from the color of straw to grayish to even chesnut. The backs of the ears are black except for a spot either located centrally or near the tips. These appear to other animals as eyes. The throat, chest, belly, and the insides of the limbs are white. The rest of the head, throat, chest and limbs all have small black spots. The belly has larger black spots. Region and habitat have an affect on the appearance of P. pardus. In Africa, leopards living in hilly areas tend to be larger than those living in lowlands. There is a tendency to melanism (black coloration) more frequently in densely forested areas where being darker is probably beneficial in remaining unseen as compared to open areas. They have been recorded as long as 2.92 m but 1.37-1.67 is more common (Guggisberg 1975; Nowak 1997).

Native to South Sahara deserts, covering Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Sudan and Ethiopia, this animal has distinctive spurs on the rear legs, which give it its name. This is the largest mainland tortoise in the world (and second only to the giant tortoises of the Galapagos and Aldabra Islands). Males are slightly larger than females. The tortoise shell can reach 36 in in length, and weight exceeds 220 lbs. The carapace consists of several scutes, each featuring growth rings. Thick skin keeps moisture inside the body and thus prevents dehydration. These tortoises are known as eating machines and will spend hours grazing on grasses and hay, succulents, plants and leaf matter. A Sulcata tortoise can live up to 70 years!

Petrogale brachyotis varies in total length from 830 to 1070 millimeters. Average adult size is 970 mm long. Short-eared rock wallabies have ears that are not more than half the length of their heads, hence their name. The pelage is uniform in color dorsally and can have variable whitish margins. Pelage color ranges from light grey and almost white in western populations to dark grey and brown in eastern populations. They have an extremely long, bushy, and thickly-haired tail which is used primarily for balancing. Short-eared rock wallabies have a well-padded hind foot, with the sole being roughly granulated. This characteristic gives these animals a secure grip on rocky surfaces, which is their primary habitat. The central hind claws of short-eared rock wallabies are short, exceeding the toe by only 2 or 3 mm. Female rock wallabies have a forward-opening pouch with four mammae (Nowak 1999; Wilson & Reeder 1993).