Crocodiles, Alligators & Lizards From Black Caimans to Komodo Dragons

About this book

Crocodiles, alligators, caimans, gila monsters - these creatures all have dinosaur ancestries dating from 94 million years ago. There is something elemental and scary about a crocodile, with its tough scaly skin, long, powerful tail, conical, peg-like teeth and vicious bite. And these creatures can still be found in every part of the world. Arranged by continent, Crocodiles, Alligators & Lizards introduces the American alligator, an apex predator that swims the coasts, estuaries and swamps of southeast USA feeding on fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals; the black caiman, which can grow up to an enormous 6 metres (20 ft) in length and prefers the habitat of the slow-moving rivers and lakes of the Amazon basin; the frilled lizard, which spreads its frilly neck when threatened or to impress other lizards; the gila monster, whose two- tone camouflage colouring allows it to easily blend into its desert habitat; and the Komodo dragon, which can run up to 20 km/h (13 mph) over short distances and has a venomous bite that can paralyze large animals. With detailed captions explaining the origins, habitat and behaviour of these fascinating species, Crocodiles, Alligators & Lizards is a vivid pictorial guide in over 200 brilliant photographs.

Contents

Introduction

1. The Americas
American alligator
American crocodile
Cuban crocodile
Morelet's crocodile
Orinoco crocodile
Broad-snouted caiman
Black caiman
Cuvier's dwarf caiman
Smooth-fronted caiman
Yacare caiman
Schneider's dwarf caiman (Schneider's smooth-fronted caiman)
Spectacled caiman
Green iguana
Galapagos marine iguana
Grand Cayman blue iguana
Gila monster
Argentine black and white tegu
Green anole
Northern caiman lizard

2. Africa
Dwarf crocodile
Nile Crocodile
West African slender-snouted crocodile
Savannah monitor
Panther chameleon
Namaqua chameleon
Spiny-tailed lizards
Armadillo girdled lizard
Agama agama
Southern Rock agama
Gerrhosauridae
Sudan plated lizard
Giant plated lizard
Fire skink

3. Asia
Chinese alligator (are also known as the Yangtze alligator or the muddy dragon)
Gharial
Malayan Gharial (False Gharial and the Sunda Gharial)
Saltwater crocodile
Mugger Crocodile
New Guinea Crocodile
Philippine crocodile (Mindoro crocodile, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, bukarot, or buwaya)
Siamese Crocodile
Komodo Dragon
Asian water monitor
Tokay gecko
Leopard gecko
Chinese water dragon

4.
Australasia and the Pacific
Australian Freshwater Crocodile
Saltwater crocodile (estuarine crocodile, Indo-Pacific crocodile, marine crocodile, sea crocodile, or saltie)
Pogona (Bearded Dragon)
Crested gecko
Thorny devil
Frilled dragon

5. Europe
Lacerta
Mediterranean chameleon
European glass lizard
Sand lizard
Viviparous lizard
Mediterranean house gecko
Anguidae
Common wall lizard
European green lizard

Customer Reviews

Biography

David Alderton has enjoyed a lifelong interest in wildlife and has travelled widely, studying a variety of creatures in their natural habitats throughout the world. His books have sold over six million copies and been published in over 30 languages.