Reptiles

Rat Snake
The common rat snake belongs to a group of three dozen rat snake species, which also includes corn snakes and fox snakes. This particular species is found across the eastern United States, from New England in the north to Texas, Nebraska and Wisconsin.

Reticulated Python
The reticulated python is easily recognized by its unmarked head and sheer size. It is the longest snake in the world. It is a strict carnivore, and kills most effectively by waiting in trees to ambush unsuspecting victims.

Rough Green Snake
This slender species ranges along the Atlantic coast of North America, from Connecticut to Florida and inland to Kansas and Ohio. Rough green snakes prefer damp areas, including flooded meadows and around the edges of lakes, marshes and streams.

Rubber Boa
This small snake is one of just two boas found in North America, where it lives in damp woodlands and mountain conifer forests in the west of the continent. Rubber boas are burrowers, as well as good swimmers.

Saltwater Crocodile
This dark grey reptile is the largest of the crocodile species and the heaviest reptile in the world. A full-grown adult can weigh over 1,000 kg and be as much as 7 m long. It has a large head and powerful jaws, designed for holding and crushing.

Sidewinder
Sidewinders are named for their unusual method of locomotion, in which they move sideways across loose ground, such as sand. Many snakes that live in similar habitats also "sidewind". This involves a wave-like undulation of the snake's body.

Spitting Cobra
As its name indicates, this snake has a particularly effective method of defence. When it feels threatened, the spitting cobra rises up in typical cobra fashion, extending its hood, which is quite narrow by cobra standards.

Taipan
The taipan of Australia is one of the most venomous snakes in the world, with a bite that can kill a mouse in three seconds and an adult human in 30 minutes. It is highly aggressive and employs a snap-and-release attack strategy.

Timber Rattlesnake
The range of timber rattlesnakes extends north-east along the Appalachian Mountains to the Adirondacks of New York. Further south, they occur on either side of the mountains to the swampy Atlantic coastal plain between the Carolinas and northern Florida.

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake
These venomous snakes - so-called because of the rattling sound they give as a warning before striking - remain numerous despite widespread persecution. Western diamondbacks are the largest and most venomous rattlesnakes in North America.