These Amazing Reptiles Are on the Brink

[Music] this is the coloured lizard the two black bands around their neck give them their name coloured 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 this is the texas horned lizard a species which happens to be the official state reptile and you know what they say don't mess with texas [Music] the texas horned lizard is aptly named because of its numerous horns the most prominent horns are the two central ones located at both the center and rear of the skull frequently preyed upon by other animals its distinct coloration allows it to camouflage itself amongst vegetation but when hunted by creatures such as snakes coyotes and hawks they can either inflate to a larger size or flatten in order to blend in with the ground however their best and more unique defense against prey is their ability to shoot a stream of blood from its eyelid directly into the enemy's eyes the texas horned lizards population has dropped dramatically in recent years due to the state's rapid urbanization leaving them with a shrinking habitat this is the texas horned lizard [Music] this is the guatemalan beaded lizard its bite can be deadly but we're a larger threat to it than it is to us there are less than 200 of these creatures left in the wild making it one of the most endangered lizards in the world their beaded black skin is adorned with yellow spots and bands they can be found mainly in deserts and dry forests but even then they're hard to find as they spend about 70 of their lives underground measuring up to a foot and a half when fully grown they can pack a serious punch they are one of only two lizard species that are venomous the venom is in their saliva and it's administered when they bite their prey unfortunately this venom also strikes fear among humans the biggest threat to these otherwise docile creatures hunting habitat loss and poaching have forced this phantom lizard to fight for its survival this is the guatemalan beaded lizard with a lifespan able to reach as old as 69 these iguanas can live as long as humans this is the grand cayman blue iguana found only in grand cayman the largest and westernmost of the cayman islands their blue skin becomes more prominent when establishing territory when other iguanas are nearby males turn especially bright blue during breeding season but their blue skin isn't their only defining feature they have striking red eyes and excellent vision which enables them to notice shapes and movement at long distances listed as endangered due to human activity habitat loss and being preyed upon by free-roaming predators such as dogs cats and rats these beautiful blue lizards face an uphill battle against extinction this is the grand cayman blue iguana [Music] [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] this is conan and plum two very still new caledonian geckos found exclusively in the territory of new caledonia these geckos can be spotted on the southern portion of the island they have been known to grow up to 14 inches in length while that may not seem very big conan and plum are the largest living species of gecko in the world typically very calm they only move when absolutely necessary a greenish mossy pattern coats their body camouflaging them in their natural habitat their colours range from a rusty red and brown to green or grey unlike most geckos it has claws on its toes and these along with a grasping pad under the tail help it cling to tree trunks the primary threat to this species is the continued loss and degradation of forest habitat this is the new caledonian gecko [Music] this is gila he's a gila monster the only species of lizard native to the united states that is venomous but don't worry these lagged lizards aren't exactly known for their ability to give chase [Music] native to the southwestern united states and northwestern mexico the gila monster is a hard to spot desert dweller spending 90 of its day underground squat and heavy set with a large tail and head they grow to be about 20 inches long and weigh 2 pounds their skin is studded with dorsal scales black in color with scattered patterns of orange and red hues they camouflage well amongst desert pebbles and rocks gila monsters prey on small desert animals and their eggs by using their acute sense of smell once located they bite into their prey with their teeth and don't let go they chew relentlessly until the venom stored in their salivary glands can work its way into their prey although quite toxic their bite is not fatal to adult humans sadly the number of gila monsters in the wild are dropping they've lost their habitat to housing and agricultural development but since they spend most of their time underground we do not know how many are left this is the gila monster this is sj a prehensile tailed skink found in the solomon islands this little guy is the largest known of its kind [Music] the prehensile tailed skink's body is a greenish olive colour with scattered black scales this colouring combined with its slow movements helps the skink to camouflage with its surroundings and hide from enemies like other skinks its head is flat and triangular their strong legs and sharp claws help them to climb trees the defining feature on this skink is its prehensile tail which allows them to grasp objects and branches for balance their tail makes up nearly half of their body's length the prehensile tailed skink's habitat is under threat due to deforestation for lumbar and agriculture this and the skink's popularity within the pet trade has threatened their survival in the wild this is the prehensile tailed skink [Music] [Music] is [Music] centro [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] a [Music] [Music] animals [Music]

Channel: Great Big Story

Views: 114,184

Keywords: great big story, gbs, lag, documentary, docs, nature & animals, great big reel, lizard, reptile, reptiles

Id: XwD30WWYpnw

Length: 12min 6sec (726 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 18 2018