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AMERICAN ALLLIGATOR
This crocodilian
can reach 12 feet in length. (The record is 18 feet.) It is well-distributed throughout the southeastern
U.S. wherever there is fresh water.
They typically ambush
prey from shallow water. They will eat any animal they can catch and drag into the water.
In Texas, it is illegal to hunt them without a permit, and they cannot be kept as pets.
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BLACK
DESERT KINGSNAKE
This gorgeous
snake comes primarily from the Mexican state of Sinaloa. Like other kingsnakes, it is a snake-eater. Being immune to
their venom, it even has the
ability to kill and eat rattlesnakes native to its range. This constrictor
also eats small mammals, lizards, birds, and eggs.
It can grow to around four feet in length.
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BURMESE PYTHON
This gentle giant can grow to almost 20 feet in
length and 200 pounds. These large constrictors come from SE Asia, and mammals make up the bulk of their diet. Smaller mammals
than people, that is.
For a video of our 14' Burm incubating her clutch of over 30 eggs, check out Mama Burm laying eggs.
For a video of her twitching her muscles to raise her body temperature during incubation, check out Mama Burm a twitchin'.
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MADAGASCAN
HISSING COCKROACH
Wingless
and about three inches long, these cousins of our American cockroaches are truly large insects. They can make a loud hissing
noise when disturbed, but cannot bite, sting, or even fly. So, they are harmless (unless you run into something while
trying to get away from them).
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CHILEAN
ROSEHAIR TARANTULA
This
shy arachnid is not at all prone to bite. Its preferred method of defense (if simply strolling away doesn't work) is to dislodge
irritating hairs from its abdomen with its hind legs. It has poor eyesight, does not make a web, and eats mostly ground-dwelling
insects.
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LEOPARD
TORTOISE
This tortoise
has a wide distribution in Africa. Strictly herbivorous, it eats a lot and grows rapidly. One of the largest tortoises in
the world, it can grow to about two feet in length and weigh up to 80 pounds.
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EASTERN BLUETONGUE SKINK
These thick-bodied,
stubby-legged skinks are appropriately named. They are usually gentle but use their tongues as a display when threatened.
They can live over 20 years.
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ROSY
BOA
One of only two boas
native to the U.S., this small, shy creature is from southern California. They eat birds and small mammals, but they are very
dainty about it.
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CALIFORNIA
KINGSNAKE
Kingsnakes are
known for their ability to kill (by constriction) and eat other snakes, even venomous ones! However, they tend to be very
docile when handled. They also eat birds and their eggs, lizards, and turtle eggs.
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