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The American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis), sometimes referred to colloquially as a gator or common alligator, is a large crocodilian reptile endemic to the southeastern United States. It is one of two living species in the genus Alligator within the family Alligatoridae; it is larger than the other extant alligator species, the Chinese alligator. Adult male American alligators measure 3.4 to 4.6 m (11 to 15 ft) in length, and can weigh 453 kg (999 lb). Females are smaller, measuring around... less ↑

The axolotl (/ˈæksəlɒtəl/; etymol. Nāhuatl āxōlōtl (singular) or āxōlōmeh (plural) "water monster"), also known as a Mexican salamander (Ambystoma mexicanum) or a Mexican walking fish, is a neotenic salamander, closely related to the tiger salamander. Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a "walking fish", it is not a fish, but an amphibian. The species originates from numerous lakes, such as Lake Xochimilco underlying Mexico City. Larvae of this species fail to undergo metamorphosis, so the less ↑

The African bullfrog (Pyxicephalus adspersus) is a species of frog in the Ranidae family. It is also known as the pixie frog due to its Latin name. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and possibly Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its natural habitats are dry savanna, moist savanna, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, intermittent freshwater lakes, intermittent freshwater marshes, arable land, pastureland, and canals and ditches.... less ↑

Python regius is a nonvenomous python species found in Africa. This is the smallest of the African pythons and is popular in the pet trade, largely due to its typically docile temperament. No subspecies are currently recognized. It is also known as royal python or ball python. The name "ball python" refers to the animal's tendency to curl into a ball when stressed or frightened. The name "royal python" (from the Latin regius) comes from the... less ↑

The cane toad (Rhinella marina), also known as the giant neotropical toad or marine toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean as well as northern Australia. It is a member of the genus Rhinella but was formerly in the genus Bufo, which includes many different true toad species found throughout Central and South America. The cane... less ↑

The Red Cornsnake (Pantherophis guttatus), corn snake, or red rat snake, is a North American species of rat snake that subdues its small prey by constriction. The name "corn snake" is a holdover from the days when southern farmers stored harvested ears of corn in a wood frame or log building called a crib. Rats and mice came to the corn crib to feed on the corn, and corn snakes came to feed on the rodents.... less ↑

The Rose Hair Tarantula (Grammostola rosea), also known in the United States as the Chilean rose tarantula, Chilean flame tarantula, Chilean fire tarantula or the Chilean red-haired tarantula (depending on the colormorph), is probably the most common species of tarantula available in American and European pet stores today, due to the large number of wild-caught specimens exported cheaply from their native Chile into the pet trade. The species is also known from Bolivia and Argentina. less ↑

The Atlantic horseshoe crab, Limulus polyphemus, is a marine chelicerate arthropod. Despite its name, it is more closely related to spiders, ticks, and scorpions than to crabs. Horseshoe crabs are most commonly found in the Gulf of Mexico and along the northern Atlantic coast of North America. A main area of annual migration is Delaware Bay, although stray individuals are occasionally found in Europe. less ↑

The Madagascar hissing cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa), also known as the hissing cockroach or simply hisser, is one of the largest species of cockroach, reaching 2 to 3 inches (5.1–7.6 cm) at maturity. They are from the island of Madagascar off the African mainland, where they can be found in rotting logs. It is one of some 20 known species of large hissing roaches from Madagascar, many of which are kept as pets, and often confused with one... less ↑

Procambarus alleni is a species of freshwater crayfish endemic to Florida. Its natural range is the area east of St. Johns River and all of Florida from Levy County and Marion County southwards, as well as on some of the Florida Keys. It is widely sold in the aquarium trade under a variety of names, including the blue crayfish or electric blue crayfish. It is included on the IUCN Red List as a species of Least... less ↑

The Boa constrictor is a species of large, heavy-bodied snake. It is a member of the family Boidae found in North, Central, and South America, as well as some islands in the Caribbean. A staple of private collections and public displays, its color pattern is highly variable yet distinctive. Ten subspecies are currently recognized, although some of these are controversial. This article focuses on the species Boa constrictor as a whole, but also specifically on the... less ↑

Arbacia punctulata is a species of Arbacia genus of purple-spined sea urchins. Its natural habitat is in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Arbacia punctulata can be found in shallow water from Massachusetts to Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula, from Texas to Florida in the Gulf of Mexico, the coast from Panama to French Guiana and in the Lesser Antilles, usually on rocky, sandy, or shelly bottoms. less ↑

The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans), also known as red-eared terrapin, is a semiaquatic turtle belonging to the family Emydidae. It is a subspecies of the pond slider. It is the most popular pet turtle in the United States and is also popular as a pet in the rest of the world, as, among other factors, it is easy to maintain. It has, therefore, become the most commonly traded turtle in the world. It is native... less ↑

Lampropeltis triangulum sinaloae, commonly known as the Sinaloan milk snake, is an egg laying subspecies of nonvenomous colubrid snake. It is one of the most commonly bred milk snakes in captivity. It is a fairly docile subspecies and will rarely bite. If handled, it will discharge a pungent smelling exudate from the cloaca as a warning. The Sinaloan milk snake inhabits the rocky and semi-arid drylands of southwest Sonora, Sinaloa, and southwest Chihuahua (Mexico). less ↑

The Texas cichlid (Herichthys cyanoguttatus, formerly Cichlasoma cyanoguttatum) is a freshwater fish of the cichlid family. Also known as Rio Grande cichlid, this species is originated from the lower Rio Grande drainage in Texas and Northeastern Mexico, particular on the sandy bottom of deep rivers. This is the only cichlid species native to the United States, and has been introduced by man as far North as Central Texas where they live in various lakes and rivers. less ↑

Did you know?
 Tiger beetles are very fast. The fastest tiger beetle can run 5.6 mph (9km/h). This is the equivalent of a human running at 480 mph (770 km/h).
 Tiger beetles run so fast that they go temporarily blind when running. This is due in part to the signals from the eyes not having enough time to be processed by the brain before new signals are sent in. This is why tiger beetles run in a signature start and stop style. This sudden stop gives the brain time to process the signals and find the prey again. To compensate for the blindness, tiger beetles run with their antennae straight out in front of them to sense the environment.
 Even though the tiger beetles have large, strong jaws, they have a very small mouth that they only eat liquid through. To eat, the tiger beetle mashed up its prey and rolls it into a ball that they add digestive enzymes to. These enzymes digest the arthropod and liquefy it, which it can then suck through its pharyngeal pump. less ↑

Furry lobsters (sometimes called coral lobsters) are small decapod crustaceans, closely related to the slipper lobsters and spiny lobsters. The antennae are not as enlarged as in spiny and slipper lobsters, and the body is covered in short hairs, hence the name furry lobster. Although previously considered a family in their own right (Synaxidae Spence Bate, 1881), the furry lobsters were subsumed into the family Palinuridae in 1990, and molecular phylogenies support the inclusion of the... less ↑