Baja Blue Rock Lizard

Kimberly Rock Monitor

• Long, slender monitor lizards native to the Kimberley region of Northwestern Australia

• Long tail is more than half their length

• Very few zoos worldwide care for Kimberley rock monitors

Mozambique Girdled Lizard

• Can wedge themselves between rocks and inflate with air to prevent being pulled out

Pancake Tortoise

• Found in Tanzania and Kenya

• Can wedge themselves between rocks and inflate with air to prevent being pulled out

Gila Monster

• Southwestern US and Northwestern Mexico

• Stores water and fat in tail

• Venomous

• 80% of life spet underground

• Preferred food - eggs

• Groundbreaking study in medicine (ASU) - diabetes

Rio Fuerte Beaded Lizard

• Northern to Western Mexico

• Characteristics similar to Gila Monster

Cobra - rotates between 4 species

• Common name of various snakes, most belonging to genus Naja

• All are venomous, and many are capable or rearing upwards and producing a hood when threatened

1. Egyptian Cobra - variable color; 'tear-drop' mark below the eye; one of most venomous species in North Africa; average length 4.6 ft, with longest recorded 8.5 ft

2. Moroccan Cobra - very similar to Egyptian Cobra - unsure how to distinguish

3. Red Spitting Cobra - eastern Africa in temperate and tropical regions; brick-red or red-orange color; colors may vary, but distinguished from other cobras by thick dark band around neck & throat; hollow fangs that can eject venom; can spit venom up to 8 feet and 40 times in 2 minutes

4. Cape Cobra - southern Africa, particularly S. Africa, Botswana, and south Namibia; color ranges from yellow to golden brown to dark brown or black; most dangerous venomous snake in Africa with highest rate of fatalities

Desert Blond Tarantula

• Typically found in saguar-dominated plant communities

• Many similar species throughout the desert southwest; difficult to differentiate

• Some hairs on the top of the abdomen are specialized for defense

• Urticating hairs are tipped with backward pointing barbs

• Hairs can become embedded in face, paws, or other body parts of attacker; irritating and difficult to remove

Western Banded Gecko

• Found in the Sonoran and Mojave deserts

• Feed on beetles, spiders, grasshoppers, sowbugs, termites, and solpugids

• Waves its tail to divert attention of a predator away from its head and body

• Stores food and water in tail to use during lean times, including winter dormancy

• Regrow tail is energetically expensive so loss of tail at onset of winter puts lizard in jeopardy

Saw Scaled Viper

• Middle East and Egypt

• Rubs scales together to make noise to deter predators

Santa Catalina Island Rattlesnake

• Endemic to island in Gulf of California

• Born with 1 button does NOT add segments when it sheds, so it never gets a rattle

• Will create noise to deter threats

Sidewinder

• Native to AZ

• Has scales over eyes

• Venomous

• Burrowing

• Locomotion - leaves 'J' shapes in the sand

Saharan Horned Viper

• Native to Africa

• Characteristics similar to Sidewinder

Gidgee Skink

• Western Australia

• Can wedge themselves between rocks and inflate with air to prevent being pulled out

Shield-Tailed Agama

• Species is endemic to the Horn of Africa

• Habitat: woodlands & deserts

• Block the entrance of their burrows with their tails to deter predators

• Adult males have a neon blue chin when they are excited

Not currently on exhibit:

Western Hognose Snake

• Sharply upturned snout

• Chihuahuan Desert

• Feign death and flip upside down

• Rear fanged and slightly venomous

• Slight hooded - can spread out/inflate similar to cobras