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Squamates have enhanced their smell in a way humans could not even begin to fathom. Most animals use their nose to inhale and filter particles, but snakes and other reptiles have developed a special way to use this sense. Many people see a snake’s forked tongue moving in and out of it’s mouth, but never questioned why it would do such an odd thing. This action is the equivalent of a dog sniffing the air. Their tongues have become their noses, flicking out in order to gather particles in the air. Mainly they’re used to detect pheromones, chemical messengers that are emitted from most animals. The tongue will then return inside, pushing to the roof of the mouth where they enter two pits. These pits, known as the Jacobson’s Organ, are a specialized organ inside the mouth, on a palate. There are two, fairly spaced apart, which is why reptiles with extra-sensitive vomeronsal organs have tongues split in two. The bigger the split, the more the species uses their Jacobson’s organ. Many animals, such as lions and house cats, have vomeronsal organs, but do not use them in quite the same way a reptile would. Photo credit: Snakelover61
I’m pretty sure anybody can recognize this unique reptile. The Frilled Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) is endemic to Northern Australia. Most people recognize it by it’s distinct appearance when threatened. They rise on their hind legs, open their frighteningly yellow mouth, hisses, and unfurls the colorful, pleated skin flaps along their face. The best part is if the threat doesn’t back down, they swing around and run like hell to safety, continuing with the ridiculously intimidating look, never bothering to look back. They’re a part of the family Agamidae, spending most of their lives in trees. On occasion, they’ll descend from the tree in order to feed on ants and smaller lizards. Spiders, termites, small mammals and cicadas are also on the menu for this predator. Predators of this predator include birds of prey, larger lizards, snakes, dingoes and feral cats. Habitat reduction and predation, particularly by the feral cats, are causing reductions in population, but they are neither threatened nor endangered. Females lay up to 23 eggs in an underground nest, and offspring are independent upon hatching. The lifespan of these reptiles is uncertain, but in captivity they have lived up to 20 years. Photo credit: Symoto
This bad boy is one of only two known alligator species; The Chinese Alligator (Alligator sinensis) is smaller than it’s relative the American Alligator, growing an average of 1.5 m (5 ft). They’re native to China, but critically endangered. It’s predicted there’s less than 200 wild individuals; and only 50 of them are old enough to mate! Scientists believe the decline in population is due to not only their habitat being turned into rice patties, but the poisoning of rats which these reptiles will then consume.  So how do you tell the Chinese Alligator from the American Alligator, or even from Crocodiles? Unlike the American Alligator, the Chinese Alligator is fully armored, which is a feature that has otherwise only been seen in a few crocodiles. If you see what you presume is a crocodile, try and think again! If the snout is short and blunt, it’s more likely to be an alligator. If the snout is more tapered and toothy looking, even with the mouth closed, chances are it’s a crocodile.  Photo credit: Jon Inghram
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