January Reptiles

I visited the Columbus Zoo's reptiles a couple times in January.

Burton (Burt) the Magnificent! Grand Cayman iguana. Focus stack of two images.

Weber's sailfin lizard

smooth-fronted caiman

green basilisk

red-tailed rat snake. Focus stack of two images

scrub python

Malagasy leaf-tailed gecko

Columbus Reptiles

I went to the Columbus Zoo August 19 and visited the reptiles.

My pal Burt, a Grand Cayman iguana. The Zoo has acquired a female, and the hope is for happy marriage when she is older.

Note the flat, square head of this smooth-fronted caiman.

male green basilisk

northern copperhead

red-tailed rat snake

eastern Massasauga rattlesnake

Malagasy leaf-tailed gecko

Lizards

Of the types of reptiles, I find lizards most interesting because of the variety of textures, colors, and accessories (a "fin" on the back, spikes down the back, bulging eyes, etc.).

rainbow agama (Toledo Zoo)

red-eyed crocodile skink (Toledo Zoo)

green basilisk (Columbus Zoo)

 

spiny-tailed iguana (Columbus Zoo)

desert grasslands whiptail lizard (Toledo Zoo)

 

blue spiny lizard (Toledo Zoo)

Solomon Island skink, or prehensile-tailed skink (Columbus Zoo)

 

San Esteban chuckwalla (Columbus Zoo)

Reptiles

I've never been interested in reptiles, and I've rarely visited them in zoos. I've got nothing against them; it's just that mammals and birds are more appealing to me. However, after my first visit to the reptile building at the Columbus Zoo and a Grand Cayman iguana in particular, I'm happy to try to get compelling shots of reptiles.

This picture looks a little weird/interesting at the top because of reflections from the surface of the water.

Siebenrock's snake-necked turtle

sc

scrub python

Grand Cayman (blue) iguana

black-tailed rattlesnake

I had assumed that basilisks are magical beasts that show up in places like Harry Potter books, but here's a real one.

green basilisk

Aldabra giant tortoise

The lighting in the Komodo dragon exhibit is difficult for me to handle, mainly because of reflections off the glass, so here's a picture of a statue of one. 

Komodo dragon statue

I do my best to identify animals correctly, and I rely mostly on zoo signage. I have a bit of trouble when there are multiple snake or turtle species in the same enclosure.

My first choice for a link to more information about an animal is a page on the website of the zoo where I took the photo. If I can't find a page there, I choose a page on the site of a nonprofit organization such as the Smithsonian National Zoo, a university, or an international wildlife organization.