Museum of Nature - Reptiles and others

Museum of Nature's current special exhibition is "Reptiles", and I have been there twice already (three weeks ago and yesterday) because reptiles are a group of animals that I interact with the least and I am fascinated by them.

The first animal that you will see in the exhibit is a fierce-looking Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temmincki).  It is sad to see this large animal in a very small display area and is submerged in water all the time. 

Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temmincki)

The second animal is an African spurred tortoise (Centrochelys sulcata).  These animals reside in dry savannah and desert so the armoured legs help the tortoises build underground tunnels to stay cool and moist.

So cute.

The first snake people will see in the exhibit is a Gaboon Viper (Bitis gabonica), which has the longest fangs (up to 5 cm) of any snake!

They have "horns" between the nostrils.

Such a beautiful snake, but not really one I would want to encounter in the wild.

A shy Mangrove snake (Boiga dendrophila).

Here is another shy (and grumpy-looking) snake - a Western diamondback rattlesnake (Crotalus atrox).

Close-up on its scales.

The most photogenic snake in the exhibit is probably the Green tree python (Morelia viridis).

Look at its pretty eye.

Then there are these cool-looking Frilled leaf-tailed geckos (Uroplatus henkeli) from Madagascar.

Interesting patterns on its back to provide camouflage.

Like when it is climbing a tree.

One gecko was climbing on glass, and I was able to look at the fine hairs on the toes that allow it to cling onto glass.

An Australian blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides).  It briefly stuck its tongue out but I was too slow to photograph it.

Now, one of the reasons why I went back to the exhibit two times was because I wanted to photograph the Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus).  It was completely hidden the first time and partly hidden the second time.  Hopefully I will be able to see the whole creature next time. 

Such an amazing-looking casque.

After the exhibit, I went to the Water Gallery and Nature Live to look at more live animals (fishes and insects).

At the gallery, I saw another reptile - a sleepy Spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata), an endangered species in Canada!

Back to sleep.

An ant standing on a hill with a light bokeh that resembles the moon.