These Adorably Scaled Creatures are Among the Last of Their Kind

this is charles a san esteban island chakwala part of the iguana family chokwalas are the largest of the five species they are endangered due to hunting and feral animals preying on their eggs charles is native to san esteban island a small island in the gulf of california mexico it is only in this region where the san esteban chuck wallace can be found their coloration provides critical camouflage from predators they don't drink water instead getting all the water they need from the plants they eat san esteban chuck wallace can reach over two and a half feet in size they are very well adapted for desert life and enjoy basking in the sun in temperatures consistently in the low hundreds this is the san esteban [Music] chakwala this is a male tree pangolin he is six months old critically endangered and under-researched the tree pangolin is a mammalian species like no other found throughout asia and africa pangolins can be traced back 66 million years meaning they lived amongst dinosaurs they're the only mammals on earth covered in scales which account for about 20 of their body weight these large protective scales are made of keratin the same thing human nails and hair are made from tree pangolins use their long claws to climb on trees and branches in an endless search for prey baby penguins like the one here get around by riding their mother's tails though they have poor eyesight and hearing their strong sense of smell and elastic tongue allows them to catch a meal of mostly ants and termites when the pangolin senses danger it will curl up into a ball making it almost invincible in the wild humans however are a dangerous threat the pangolin scales are thought to have healing properties though there's no science to back that up because of that pangolins are the most heavily trafficked mammals in the world worth almost 300 per pound on the black market no one knows how many pangolins are left but we do know that their number is shrinking fast this is the tree penguin [Music] this is the colored lizard the two black bands around their neck give them their name colored lizards can actually run on their hind legs and reach up to 15 miles per hour their tails are used for balancing themselves when they are up and sprinting they are a medium-sized lizard reaching up to a foot and a half in length native to western north america they prefer to live in rocky habitats with sparse vegetation today they are widespread but only a few decades ago their population was declining clearing land as a form of fire prevention has greatly helped its population rebound as they need open rocky habitats to survive this is the colored lizard [Music] this is the gothica skink small in size the gothica skink is covered in camouflage skin to blend in with the alpine rocks they call home the gothicus gink is native to victoria australia and can only be found in one area known as the bogong high plains because they are only found in such a small area they are vulnerable to natural disasters such as bushfires but this isn't the only threat facing the skinks their habitat has also been affected by the construction of ski resorts and the grazing and trampling from farm animals but their biggest threat is climate change warmer temperatures have allowed new predators once kept at bay by the cold into their previously isolated habitat zoos victoria have been working on a breeding program to ensure the preservation of this species and a rescue and recovery program if there is an immediate threat to the wild population [Music] this is the gothic skink [Music] meet onyx a five-year-old eastern indigo snake [Music] at nine feet in length eastern indigos are considered to be the longest native snakes in the united states even though they lack a venomous bite they can fall victim to overzealous rattlesnake hunters as they inhabit the same burrows their beautiful smooth scaled skin is a shade of bluish black carnivorous like all snakes onyx feeds on any small animal she can overpower onyx may hiss or rattle her tail when alarmed but she'll hardly ever bite like most snakes humans are their biggest threat as continued urbanization has left them threatened throughout parts of the united states this is the eastern indigo snake [Music] this is the massasauga rattlesnake it is ontario's only venomous snake but it's more scared of humans than we are of it massasaugas aren't very large growing up to three feet in length their skin is grey to dark brown dappled with darker splotches along its back their tails rattle as a warning yet they won't strike unless they have no choice that's because massasaugas are shy and prefer to hide than bite their enemies unfortunately they can't hide from encroaching human development which combined with intentional killings from over-exaggerated fear have caused a large decline in its canadian population this is the massasauga rattlesnake [Music] this is a baby cuban crocodile one of the rarest crocs in the world hidden away in only two parts of cuba they have the smallest range of any croc species the cuban crocodile is critically endangered experts say approximately 3 000 remain in the wild its bright pebbled scales set it apart from other crocodiles they favor freshwater lakes and swamps rarely venturing into the ocean their strong swimmers using their powerful tails to thrust out of the water catching prey hiding in overhanging branches habitat degradation hunting and interbreeding with related crocodile species all pose threats this is the cuban crocodile you

Channel: Great Big Story

Views: 39,550

Keywords: great big story, gbs, lag, documentary, docs, great big reel, great big reel 201, On The Brink, endangered animals, scaled animals, chuckwalla, San Esteban, San Esteban Island Chuckwalla, pangolin, adorable, collared lizard, lizard, Guthega skink, threatened, wildlife, nature, Eastern Indigo snake, snake, conservation, Massasauga rattlesnake, rattlesnake, Cuba, Cuban crocodile, crocodile, reptiles, preservation, Nature & Animals, Planet Earth

Id: dr6SBqt7MqY

Length: 8min 3sec (483 seconds)

Published: Tue Jun 06 2017