Reptiles are cold blooded which means their body temperature changes to their surroundings. Reptiles also have scales and even some have horns. Reptiles of the rainforest come in many different shapes and sizes. They live mostly by water or low trees and ferns.

The green tree python is a large snake. A full grown green tree python grows up to 7 feet long. When the baby green tree python are barely hatched, they are only 3 to 4 inches long. When the babies are born, they can be a variety of colors like brown, yellow, brick red, and white. But in the end, they all turn out to be the same shade of green. They eat mostly insects or small lizards, and eggs, but they catch a large meal like a monkey once a month. The green tree python lives to be 16 years and up to the record of 23 years.

The anaconda lives up to 40 years if it doesn’t get seriously injured during it’s life. It grows up to 29 feet and weighs a lot. It weighs up to 550 pounds but is usually just a couple hundred. The anaconda would weigh mor than a python, and a python would be much longer. The anaconda has water proof scales. If it stays out of water for too long, it could become infested with ticks. Its closest relative is the green anaconda.

The green anaconda is the largest snake in the rainforest and reach up to 35 feet in length. They need to stay near water to live. They mostly live in South America. Like boa constrictors, they squeeze and suffocate their prey.

The forest dragon is 15 cm long and is a member of the lizard family. Not many people see it when it is up in the trees because of it’s excellent camouflage. Forest dragons have spiky scales all over their body and have 2 cm long horns down it’s spine and on the back of it’s head. They eat small insects.

The green anole is confused for a chameleon because they look so much alike. The green anoles like to chase each other up and down trees for fun. They grow up to 5-9 inches in length. The female only has one egg at a time. Their diet is mostly small mosquitoes, beetles and other tiny insects.

Reptiles live in the rainforest as well as just about anywhere around the world. Respect their homes.

To learn more about the reptiles of the rainforest visit the following sites:
http://www.ran.org/kids_action/s06_animals.html
http://rainforest-australia.com/reptiles.htm http://www.dsdk12.net/~kdoerr/mainforest/reptiles/reptiles.html