Reptiles Of The Rainforest Gallery I

"More Than Just Snakes!"

These tropical rainforest pictures illustrate the diversity of plant life and complexity of habitats making up equatorial forests.

There are plenty of amazing reptiles of the rainforest. Most of you recognize reticulated pythons and viper snakes, so now let's focus on what else we can find in the jungle.

Rainforests are fantastic reptile habitats and most species adapt special features to survive. Being a specialist helps to take advantage of the environment.

Some reptiles live underground, others on the forest floor and some stay up in jungle trees.

Many lizards and geckos are active during the day, so keep your eyes sharp on your next jungle outing.

Start watching for parachuting geckos and gliding lizards sitting still on tree trunks; or maybe colorful crested-head lizards perched on arcing branches.

Tropical Rainforest Pictures Galleries

• Rainforest Pictures I: Borneo and Sumatra Species Too
• Rainforest Pictures II: Jungle, Jungle, Everywhere!
• Reptiles of the Rainforest II: Lizards, Geckos, Skinks
• Rainforest Videos Collection: Get A View Of Jungle Life

Agile, quick and scruffy, Malaysia's two monitors are stout, long-necked lizards with an attitude. While the clouded monitor prefers to climb on forest trees, the water monitor lurks around village streams, swamps and garbage heaps to feed. Both species like to bask in the sun on rocks or coconut palms.>

If you hear a loud scrambling noise in the forest, it's usually a monitor lizard thrashing over forest debris in a frenzy. Very active in daylight when it hunts for almost anything from nesting birds to crabs.

An unexpected and cool wildlife sighting. These forest tortoises are restricted to upper hill forests and rarely encountered. But just as the guidebook stated it "emerges during rain to feed," and this one was crossing the road at Maxwell Hill after a downpour.

A field video of these beautiful reptiles of the rainforest is in the works, so come back for more.

Seen mostly on big tree trunks, Draco lizards stand at attention like sentinels guarding the rainforest. Watch close as they fling out a flag of colorfun skin from their throats to attract females or warn males to stay away. It glides to adjacent trees with an expanded rib cage, normally flattened next to its body, that acts like a horizontal sail. Think how an umbrella works.

In the jungle, camouflage is everything. Flying lizards are silent and stealthy with mottled color patterns to mimic bark. But once you spot one, your eyes will train to zero in on them. Want to see one? Go to Kanching Forest for a trial run.

Read more about these flying reptiles of the rainforest at WildAsia.net: The Flying Reptiles of Tropical Asia

Even if you see one, you may not see one. They sleep during the day on tree trunks and can parachute short distances. How? Its body, tail and limbs are fringed with extra skin and both hands and feet are webbed.

Hiding out until nightfall, these lizards look like bark and are great tree huggers. And the body fringes prevent shadows, making it hard to even notice them unless moving. Good luck finding this one.

A striking lizard species designed like a dessert with deep chocolate skin divided by creamy white lines. Maybe not tasty, but a beautiful specimen to behold. A lowland rainforest species, look for these handsome critters at dusk near rock crevices as it comes out to eat insects.

Adult geckos are more speckled brown with a black-edge border abutting the creamy lines. This species grows to a foot long (28 cm), so not too difficult to observe.

A colorful large lizard with a long tail, a spiky crest runs along its head and spine to give it a regal air. Males wear green skin with blue patches dotted by yellow spots and a throat striped with orange and blue streaks. All these fancy colors turn olive-brown when the animal is stressed (note the change in image).

When jungle trekking look for these animals clasped on branches near stream edges, perched on tree trunks or sitting on large rocks.

Next Gallery: Reptiles of the Rainforest II

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