Lab 7 - Reptiles of the World (Thompson & Serna)

When: 23 March, 2012
Where: Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

What We Did: This week, our class got to see some rare reptile species at our local zoo. Some individuals would not otherwise be seen due to their placement on the endangered species list, or remote natural habitats. Below is a compiled phylogenetic list of what is offered at the zoo (natural distributions from signs at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo).


Order Testudines

Family Carretochelyidae

Carretochelys insculpta - fly river pignosed turtle from Papua new Guinea


Family Chelidae

Chelodina mccordi - McCord's snake-necked turtle from Roti Island and Indonesia

Emydura subglobosa - red-bellied side-necked turtle from northern Australia and New Guinea


Phrynops hilarii - spot-bellied side-neck turtle from South America (Brazil, Buenos Aires through Uruguay and Argentina)


Family Geoemydidae (aka Family Bataguridae)

Batagur affinis - southern river terrapin from Sumatra, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia

Batagur borneoensis - painted river terrapin from southern Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo


Cuora galbinifrons - Indochinese box turtle from China, Laos, Vietnam


Geoclemys hamiltonii - spotted pond turtle from southern Pakistan, northeastern India, Bangladesh


Family Podocnemidae

Podocnemis unifilis - yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle from Amazon and Orinco rivers of northern South America


Family Testudinidae
Geochelone carbonaria - red-footed tortoise from northern South America

Pyxus arachnoids - spider tortoise (endangered species)




Order Squamata - Sauria

Family Chamaeleonidae

Chamaeleo pardalis - panther chameleon from eastern and northern coasts of Madagascar and nearby islands


Family Gekkonidae

Uroplatus henkeli - Madagascar leaf tail gecko


Family Iguanidae


Brachylophus fasciatus - Fiji island banded iguana from Fiji


Family Scincidae

Corucia zebrata - prehensile-tailed skink from Solomon islands


Family Varanidae

Varanus prasinus - green tree monitor from Papua New Guinea





Order Squamata - Serpentes

Family Boidae

Boa constrictor - boa constrictor from Central and South America

Corallus hortulanus - Amazon tree boa from northern South America


Family Colubridae

Philodryas baroni - Baron's racer from Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay


Spilotes pullatus - tiger ratsnake from South and Central America



Family Pythonidae

Chondropython viridis - green tree python from Solomon islands


Python reticulatus - reticulated python from southeast Asia and nearby islands





Order Crocodilia

Family Crocodylidae
Osteolaemus tetraspis - dwarf crocodile from west and west central Africa

Family Gavialidae


Gavialis gangeticus - gharial from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh