Sheltopusik may be patterned or unicolored. They are interesting lizards are are popular with herp keepers.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

Called by many different names around the world -- glass lizards (USA), Slowworm (England and Europe), Sheltopusik (Eurasia), and Legless Lizards California, Baja, Australia) -- all are legless (or in the case of the sheltopusik essentially legless), secretive, many are burrowers, and many have fragile, easily autotomized tails.

Glass lizards (seUSA, , Eurasia, Europe, Asia) have functional eyelids, ear openings, and an expandable fold along each side of their body. These may exceed 3 feet in length and lack the suppleness of a snake. Tail readily breaks from body (autotomizes).

Sheltopusik (aka European or Giant Glass Lizard) (Balkans, Crimea, Caucasus, Southwest and Central Asia) have eyelids, ear openings, lateral grooves. The tail is less easily broken off than in most smaller species. (a fold of skin running the entire body length from behind head to but not including the tail. The latter is easily broken off). Usually about 30 inches but rarely to about 50 inches long. May bluff or bite, but they are defensive, not aggressive.

Legless lizards (Western California and Northwest Baja) have tiny eyes with functional eyelids, no ear opening, short blunt tipped tail that is barely discernible from the torso, and seldom exceed 10 inches in total length. Despite being short and thick the tail can be autotomized.

Slowworms (England, Europe) have functional eyelids, tiny ear openings, and are usually under 18 inches in length. Tail readily breaks from body.

Although a few species of the legless lizards of Australia also occur in PNG, most are endemic to Australia.

And remember, no matter how similar these may seem to snakes, they are all harmless lizards.

These interesting reptiles feed primarily on arthropods and worms.

Despite folk tales to the contrary, allow me to assure you that the autotomized tails of these lizards do not reassemble and rejoin the body. A broken tail is a broken tail and if the affected lizard again has a tail, it is a regenerated one. When fully regrown the tail is sometimes as long as the original, but always discernible by aberrant scalation or other differences.

Like most racer type snake the Horseshoe Racer has big eyes and periscopes for prey.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

Once considered common, this long, dark, fast snake now seems uncommon to rare in many parts of its extensive range. Adults of the Horseshoe Racer, Hemorrhois (formerly Coluber) hippocrepis ssp. (there are 2 subspecies, the validity of one being questionable) may attain a length of 5 feet. As are other racers, this slender, alert snake is a periscope hunter, lifting its head above surrounding vegetation when seeking its prey. It consumes rodents and birds, lizards and amphibians. Carrion is also eaten.

An oviparous species, clutch size has been recorded as 6 to 8 eggs.

The ground color may vary from tan to brown or gray. Against this the pattern of large black or black edged deep brown dorsal and smaller lateral spots are very evident. Both common and species name are derived from the light horseshoe shaped marking on the top of the head and anterior neck. There is also a dark interorbital bar. The venter is orange(ish). The preferred habitat includes open rock-strewn land, grasslands and brushy regions as well as yards. This snake ranges from Algeria to Portugal and Spain and includes several islands.

An adult female Patch-nosed Salamander
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

In 2009 a new species of “miniplethodontid” salamander was described. Although looking much like the brook salamanders of the genus Eurycea, research determined that this pretty little miniature was sufficiently different from the brook salamanders to warrant the erection of a new genus—Urspelerpes. This genus contains only the single species, U. brucei. Because of the nose-spot this salamander was given the common name of Patch-nosed Salamander.

It is an uncommon denizen of the leaf-strewn montane streams and stream edges of northern GA and adjacent SC.

As mentioned the yellowish patch on the nose tip is characteristic. Including tail, adults are about 1 7/8th inches long. Unlike the Brook Salamanders on which males and females are similarly colored, the males and females of Urspelerpes differ in color. Females tend to be patternless while males are strongly patterned with a pair of dorsolateral stripes.

Variable bush vipers are often yellow to orange and may or may not be banded.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

This small bush viper is appealing to hobbyists who enjoy venomous species. A true viper, Atheris squamiger has no temperature sensitive labial (lip) pits. The variable bush viper attains an adult length of 18 to 30 inches. Females are usually larger than the males. Scales are strongly keeled. Despite the snake’s small size the venom is known to have caused several human deaths. There is apparently no specific antivenin.

The colors vary populationally. The snakes in one population may all be of pretty much the same color while other populations may vary from green to yellow or orange. Some snakes may be banded, others may be basically unicolored. Neonates are often dusky olive but the color may change radically as the snake grows.

This species is found in rainforest areas over West and Central Africa. They apparently prefer flowering shrubs over the taller forest trees.

Note the very well developed rostral horns of the Rhinoceros Viper.
By Dick and Patti Bartlett

In its natural habitat of fallen, often wet, forest floor debris the almost gaudy colors of the Rhinoceros Viper, Bitis nascicornis, may render the snake nearly invisible Found primarily in the rainforest belt from West Africa to western East Africa, this magnificent, heavy bodied, 2 to 3 ½ foot long snake is both beautiful and dangerous.

The head is narrower than the body. Two to 3 pairs of upward directed, elongate (horn-like) scales are present on the tip of the snout. Color and pattern consist of saddles, bands, and other markings. The top of the head is blue or green at the edges but with a central black arrow. The overall appearance of this snake is often darkened or nearly obliterated by a coating of mud. The females are the larger gender

A nocturnal ambush predator, this primarily terrestrial snake seems a bit less likely to strike during the daylight hours than at night. Prey varies from small mammals to amphibians, and reportedly, fish.

Neonates, which may number from 6 to 36, are about 8 ½ inches in length.

Strongly neurotoxic, the venom also contains hemotoxin.