#herpetofauna

[coolestcrocodilian]

What a DORK❗️

[dougdimmadodo]

Italian Three-Toed Skink (Chalcides chalcides)

Family: Skink Family (Scincidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Like several other species of lizard, the Italian Three-Toed Skink has adapted to move through areas covered with dense vegetation by developing an elongated, flexible, snake-like body with highly regressed limbs, although unlike many other "snake-like lizards" members of this species still possess four tiny limbs, each ending in a stumpy three-toed foot. Said limbs are far too small to support the skink's weight and serve no role in movement (which is achieved through an elegant snake-like slithering motion,) which has led many to question what purpose, if any, they serve; it is generally assumed that the limbs are vestigial and that, given sufficient time, the descendants of modern Italian Three-Toed Skinks will lose them entirely, although some herpetologists and evolutionary biologists have suggested that the continued existence of this species' limbs suggests that they must serve some function, such as being moved as part of a courtship display or allowing mating individuals to hold onto one another (although as these behaviours have never been observed these suggestions are entirely speculative.) Found in damp, well-vegetated areas across most of mainland Italy as well as Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and the nearby island of Sardinia, members of this species are diurnal, feed mainly on insects and breed during the spring; like most skinks, females of this species give birth to live young, with newborns, which resemble miniature adults, being independent immediately after birth.

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Image Source: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/53646-Chalcides-chalcides

[manusuchus]

Vancleavea campi at the bottom of a river.

An extrange semi-aquatic non-archosaurian archosauriform from the Late Triassic of North America.  

[frangonzalezorigami]

Origami Oophaga pumilio, blue jeans poison dart frog

. Folded by me with a single square of tissue psper

[lizardsdaily]

🦎 Freckled Monitor - Varanus tristis

📷 Aurel Ravoux

[gently-morbid]

Stinkpot Turtle (Sternotherus odoratus) caught and released for a turtle study in a local bayou

Edit: For those curious, this species does have a unique smell. I wouldn’t say it’s awful, but it is strong. In my opinion, it smells like the overpriced soap you can find in any Earthbound Trading Co. It’s a musky/earthy smell.

Another notable thing about this species is its attitude. Stinkpots are very feisty when handled. Most turtles fight being handled, but Stinkpots are known for putting up an unexpectedly big fight for such teeny turtles. This attitude is one of my favorite things about them.

[fellowshipofthenoodles]

Who said potatoes can’t climb

[gfdelmar]

Clockwise from top left: spotted salamander, wood frog, Jefferson salamander, red spotted newt

[ofdirtandbones]

A peaceful little salamander

Reblog don’t repost

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

yes, I know wikipedia says "reptilia" is a subset of sauropsida, but that is hardly a consensus/universal agreement. Plus, this is a silly tumblr poll, and I enjoy silliness. (Including an option does not mean I endorse it). Some pros and cons are below. don't worry, I plan on doing this for other holdover linnean names folks can't let go of - fish, amphibian, bird, mammal, bug...

Pro to Reptiliomorpha: no way you're leaving anything out Con to Reptiliomorpha:

Pro to Amniota: "mammal-like reptile" stays Con to Amniota: it is absolute madness to consider mammals reptiles, that is such a deep divergence

Pro to Sauropsida: mammals are left out, as are all synapsids, but most things called reptiles stay in (as do birds) Con to Sauropsida: people will still call Dimetrodon a reptile and we will never know peace

Pro to Eureptilia: excluding parareptiles which are just weird enough that you could do it Con to Eureptilia: it's somewhat arbitrary and excludes a bunch of things we'd call reptiles today

Pro to Diapsida: being a diapsid is usually considered a major feature of reptiles, esp now we know turtles evolved from diapsids Con to Diapsida: it's somewhat arbitrary and excludes a bunch of things we'd call reptiles today

Pro to Sauria: crown group of living reptiles Con to Sauria: ichthyosaurs (maybe) & a bunch of other reptile like things are excluded

Pro to Lepidosauromorpha: birds aren't called reptiles Con to Lepidosauromorpha: crocodiles, turtles, pterosaurs, nonavian dinosaurs, and many more aren't reptiles

[coolestcrocodilian]

Serenity

Yacare Caiman with an unidentified butterfly atop its head (Caiman yacare)

Photo Credit

[dougdimmadodo]

Tomato Frog (Dyscophus antongilii)

Family: Narrowmouth Frog Family (Microhylidae)

IUCN Conservation Status: Least Concern

Named for their rotund red bodies, Tomato Frogs are endemic to Madagascar where they are mostly found in wet, well-vegetated environments in the northeast. Spending the day buried beneath damp soil or leaf litter to avoid predation and dehydration, members of this species emerge at night to hunt for beetles, flies and other terrestrial arthropods, and respond to threats from nocturnal predators by inflating their bodies to appear larger and secreting a thick, sticky and mildly irritative substance from their skin, making them difficult for predators to bite or grab. Tomato Frogs breed following periods of heavy rainfall, and like almost all frogs they lay their eggs in water; males, which are smaller and paler than females, gather around suitable ponds or slow-moving rivers and streams during the night and produce low, quiet, grumbling calls, competing for the attention of females. If a female selects a male she will allow him to cling to her back and will carry him around for an extended period as she lays over 1,000 soft, transparent eggs which he fertilizes externally. Shortly after fertilization the eggs hatch into tiny, limbless, fully aquatic tadpoles that gradually develop limbs and lungs over the course of several months - after transitioning to life on land young Tomato Frogs are initially dull brown or pale yellow, gradually developing a redder colouration until they reach full maturity at 2-3 years of age.

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Image Source: Here

[squishyfauna]

I have button badges coming to my shop soon! These are the two designs I have coming, but if people enjoy the button badges I’ll be working on more! 🥰

Send Newts featuring an alpine newt. Sillymander featuring a blue spotted salamander!

You can go see what other goodies I have on my Etsy

[frangonzalezorigami]

Origami american green tree frog (dryopytes cinereus). Folded by me using a square of unryu paper. I just repainted this model with oils.

[geosesarma]

Soaking away the dog days, Terrapene carolina carolina, Eastern Box Turtle

[xicointhewild]

Studying my little babies

They are in the tadpole phase 30