These handsome little lizards proved to be quite tricksome to find, owing to their fairly specific habitat requirements. Once we'd actually found a couple of the elusive areas that ticked all of the microhabitat boxes, they were pretty abundant. The species is notoriously skittish (apparently even more so when you have a camera), so the … Continue reading Dalmatian Algyroides (Algyroides nigropunctatus)
The Galápagos Islands, a place I have regularly found myself drifting away to in between bouts of lying on the floor in existential dread. Social distancing is old news over there - there's been a 2m limit between you and the animals ever since sailors became overly fond of the taste of tortoise soup. It's … Continue reading Santa Cruz lava lizard (Microlophus indefatigabilis)
It's about time I got round to doing another tale about some native UK herps. Especially considering that's all I'm likely to encounter for the forseeable future. The UK is unsurprisngly low on most herpetologists' herping trip bucket list (I imagine slotting in somewhere between Antarctica and the Moon) as we have few species of … Continue reading European Adder (Vipera berus)
Ah the basilisks, while certainly on the must-see list for any self respecting herpetologist, this is not some giant, fictional snake from Harry Potter. Perhaps more commonly known as the Jesus Christ lizards, basilisks are best known for their holy abilities. Abilities that most can only wish they were able to do. No! not turning … Continue reading Western Basilisk (Basiliscus galeritus)
Despite supposedly being one of the more common species in the Amazon, this anole somehow eluded me until this year. The most likely reason for this is that they were all hanging out in the canopy instead of down in the forest where they are supposed to be! After Giselle (the ornithologist) told me for … Continue reading Amazon bark anole (Anolis ortonii)
The day I came across my first and only Persian horned viper was quite special, mainly since it nestled comfortably in the intersection of my Venn diagram of happiness; climbing, reptiles and science. I’d set out for the day to climb a crumbly multi-pitch VS, inappropriately named Fossil Face (I didn’t see a single fossil), … Continue reading Persian horned viper (Pseudocerastes persicus)
Ah, the common lizard. They may not be as big, cool or colourful as some other herps, but it’s the very species that allows me to persist in the UK without breaking down into a quivering mess from a lack of reptile interaction (just…). Once you know where to look this hardy little lacertid can … Continue reading Common lizard (Zootoca vivipara)
Giant tortoises are one of those things you see on TV but never really expect to see for yourself in real life. I was lucky enough to head out to the Galápagos to see them in their natural habitat. Nearly all the tourists to these islands will probably just see the tortoises in the Charles … Continue reading Galápagos giant tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra)
It takes a lot to survive the extreme temperatures of the desert, but the lizards of the genus Acanthodactylus have managed it pretty well. I used to see them darting between spindly bushes quite frequently in the afternoons and early mornings in the desert. Stay out much later and they’d pretty much evaporate on the spot in … Continue reading Schmidt’s fringe-toed lizard (Acanthodactylus schmidti)
During my time in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) I was pretty keen to try and find a sand boa. How hard could it be when they leave their perfect sine-wave tracks in the sand? Turns out it’s quite hard. A week before leaving, I was following the tracks of a big, fat sand boa … Continue reading Arabian sand boa (Eryx jayakari)
Tales of Scales 