An encyclopedic look at the world's reptile species and other herpetolgical topics, from kingsnake.com and the collaborative Wikipedia project. If you wish to contribute to articles found here please make your contributions directly to Wikipedia and the changes will show here when our systems update.

Amphibians - Amphibians (class Amphibia), such as frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians, are ectothermic (or cold-blooded) animals that metamorphose from a juvenile water-breathing form, to an adult air-breathing form. Unlike other land vertebrates (amniotes), amphibians lay eggs in water. Amphibians are superficially similar to reptiles. Click Here For Amphibians

Crocodilians - Crocodilia (or Crocodylia) is an order of large reptiles that appeared about 84 million years ago in the late Cretaceous Period. Crocodilians include the alligator, crocodile, gharial and caiman families. The term 'crocodiles' is sometimes incorrectly used to refer to alligators and caiman, or even their distant prehistoric relatives, "marine crocodiles". Click Here For Crocodilians

Lizards - Lizards are a very large and widespread group of squamate reptiles, with nearly 3,800 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica as well as most oceanic island chains. Lizards typically have limbs and external ears, while snakes lack both these characteristics and many lizards can detach their tails in order to escape from predators. Click Here For Lizards

Snakes - Snakes are elongate legless carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Snakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and most islands and range in size from tiny to pythons and anacondas of up to 7.6 metres (25 ft) in length. Click Here For Snakes

Turtles and Tortoises - Turtles and Tortoises are reptiles of the order Testudines, characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield. Like other reptiles, they are ectotherms—varying their internal temperature according to their environment. Many species live in or around water. Click Here For Turtles and Tortoises

Biographies - Whether it's Marlin Perkins or Raymond Ditmars, the people who look for, study, keep, and classify these reptiles and amphibians are as fascinating as the animals themselves. Read up about Charles Darwin, Roger Conant, Hobart Smith and even TV's Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. Check out these famous reptile people. Click Here For Herp Biographies