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Belize
and Guatemala are crawling with iguanas.
Local
people call them "bush chicken" because that's what they taste like - so
it's no wonder that they're a bit shy. |
| Rocks
and stone walls are prime habitats for sun-loving lizards. |
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Another
common denizen is the basilisk lizard, commonly known as the "Jesus Christ
lizard" because of its ability to literally run over the surface of water
when escaping enemies. |
You
might want to think twice before going for a swim around here!
There
are caimans in the water supply, and there's also the Great Trinidad and
Tobago Snake Hunt to worry about!
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This
golden tegu lizard is wild, but living high on the hog around the bird
feeders at Trinidad's Asa Wright Nature Centre. |
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There
are around 50 varieties of freshwater turtles in the United States, ranging
all the way from giant alligator snapping turtles in the Deep South to
rugged survivors like this Blandings Turtle which somehow manage to survive
long and bitterly cold winters in Northern states like Illinois. |
| The
first reptile I encountered in the United States is still one of my favorites
- a Southern Pacific rattlesnake I nearly stepped on while walking on a
vacant lot in suburban San Diego.A frequent hazard for joggers, it's a
good thing that snakes like this make their presence very well known!
I came
across a couple of other rattlesnakes in California, you can see them along
with other Reptiles
of the Coachella Valley.
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With
many hot and humid areas, as well as large regions of desert, it's no surprise
that the United States is home to a wide range of lizards, including oddities
such as this desert horned lizard and the gila monster, one of only two
venomous lizards in the world. You can see a few of these species
on a short trip I made through Nevada's
Valley of Fire. |
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