Reptile Fun Facts
There are about 250 species of turtle, 25 species of crocodile, 3,000 lizards and 5,500 varieties of
snake.

Reptiles are among the longest-lived species on the planet. Large tortoises such as the Aldabra
tortoise can live 150 years or more; alligators nearly 70 years; ball pythons, 40 years.

Reptiles are not slimy as is commonly supposed because they do not have sweat or sebaceous
glands. Their skin is usually cool, dry and waterproof.

Most reptiles cannot chew their food, they can only tear it.

The longest snake is the reticulated python, exceeding lengths of 30 feet, the world's longest snake, the
Reticulated Python, can stretch himself taller than a three-story house!

The world's heaviest snake, the Green Anaconda from South America, can weigh up to 500 pounds!
She does not lay eggs like her python relatives, and may give birth to 100 live babies at a time!

Boas, Pythons, Anacondas, and many other snake families are Constrictors. Constrictors are a group of
snakes that catch their food by wrapping around it and squeezing! Aren't you glad you don't have to hug
your hamburger before you eat it? .....Share this fact with a friend, and give them a squeeze, too!

Snakes are able to swallow prey much larger than themselves because most snake species can
dislocate their jaws.

Snakes are deaf because they lack a middle ear. Instead, they sense vibrations through the ground.

The scales of all snakes and lizards are made of keratin, (not carrots)  the same substance that's in the
hair and fingernails of people.







Most of the world's snakes are nonpoisonous. Only about 500 snake species are venomous; only 30 to
40 of those are considered dangerous to humans. In fact, more people die each year from bee and
wasp stings than from snake bites.

Many snakes have heat sensors on their head, so they can track down their prey like heat-seeking
missiles. In Pennsylvania, rattlesnakes and copperheads have heat pits that help them strike their
warm-blooded meals!

Have you ever heard that you can guess a rattlesnake's age by looking at his rattle? It's a myth. A
rattlesnake gets a new button for his rattle every time he sheds his skin, which will happen several
times a year. Snake rattles are brittle, and may break off over the course of a snake's life. So if you want
to guess a rattlesnake's age, the rattle won't be much help. Try counting the candles on his birthday
cake instead.

The King Cobra is the only snake that builds her nest like a bird. She collects leaves and sticks and
nesting materials by looping her tail around them and dragging them back to the nesting site. Although
she's a good mom by snake standards, she abandons the nest just before the eggs hatch. Losing their
mom is probably good news for the baby cobras, however, because King Cobras will eat smaller
snakes!

The King Cobra is the largest venomous snake in the world, growing nearly twenty feet long, and
weighing up to 20 pounds! Not only is it the longest and heaviest venomous snake, herpetologists
recognize the King Cobra as the most intelligent serpent as well. Studies show that King Cobras have a
great memory and are known to hold a grudge....so the next time you run into one, make sure to be
polite!

The Hognose Snake, a Pennsylvania native, has a stubby nose like a pig. If you happen to run into one,
get ready for a good show. Hognose snakes roll over on their back, open up their mouths, and let their
tongues fall out while they play dead!





The eastern Milk Snake, a Pennsylvania native, does not drink milk, and they sure don't give milk. But we
didn't always know that. The name Milk Snake came from farmers who thought the snakes were biting
their cows and sucking out all the milk, which today we know is impossible. More than likely, the snakes
were just hanging around the barn to feed on rodents.

Reptiles are found on every continent except Antarctica.

The island of Madagascar is home to hundreds of different frog species, but it does not have a single
salamander or toad living there!

Here's one of those interesting animal facts that leaves you scratching your head: A blindworm is
neither blind nor a worm. It looks like a snake, but it is classified as a lizard because of its movable
eyelids and its fragile tail.

Chameleons do not change their color to blend in with different backgrounds; the color change is due to
temperature regulation and emotional changes.

A chameleon can move their big, bulgy eyes independently of one another, while only focusing one at a
time. When they locate a bug, they shoot out their long, sticky tongues, which may be longer than the
rest of their bodies! Imagine how many lolly pops you would eat if your tongue was taller than you are?

The inland Australian Bearded Dragon holds an advanced degree in the field of communications. They
talk to their friends by bobbing their heads and waving at each other. When they really want to show off,
they can make their spiky beards change colors!

Unlike most lizards, Geckos are born without eyelids. To keep their eyes from drying out, geckos lick
their eye balls with their long tongue. Think you could do that? Give it a try!

Geckos are able to walk on the sides of walls and windows because God covered their feet with sticky
pads made up of millions of hairlike hooks. Scientists at MIT have recently created surgical bandages
based on the sticky pads of geckos!




To escape a predator in the trees, a green iguana may leap into the river several stories below, where
she can hold her breath for a half hour!

Most reptiles shed their old skin several times each year, and leave them behind. But you'll never find a
gecko's old skin, because they eat it before it ever falls off, in order to retain the nutrients! How's that for
an after school snack?

The world's fastest lizard is the spiny-tailed iguana, which can reach speeds of 21.7 m.p.h.

The largest reptile is the saltwater crocodile, which can reach a length of 23 feet.

American Alligators were an endangered species a couple decades ago. But thanks to aggressive
conservation programs, the southeastern United States is now home to more than three million
Alligators!

Most reptile eggs are deserted long before they hatch, but not alligator eggs. Alligator hatchlings are
welcomed into the world by their mummy. She may be cold-blooded, but she's a warm-hearted
monster. She helps crack open tough egg shells and her mouth becomes a hatchling taxi. Once she
collects a mouthful of babies, she takes them for a swim, and she'll stay by their side for several months.

Have you ever met a talking alligator? Although most reptiles take a vow of silence, alligator hatchlings
cry for mummy with a high pitched chirp. Watch the video below. The dominant male alligators roar like
a lion to keep other males off their turf.

A turtle's protective shell will save him from most predators, but not all of them. An alligator's jaws are so
powerful that it can bite through a turtle's shell as easy as you and I bite through an oreo cookie.....and
we're both looking forward to the creamy middle!








The rain forest island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia, has something unusual in the air -- FLYING
ANIMALS -- and we're just talking about bats and birds. Borneo is home to some of the world's only
flying lizards, snakes, and frogs! Flying frogs, leaping lizards, and sailing serpents all flatten their bodies
and glide from tree to tree while catching air on large folds of skin that serve as wings


If you have any more Reptile Fun Facts please email us and let us know.