Reptilandia Reptile Lagoon Species List - March 2024

[jayjds2]

Hi all,

It's been a while since I made a new species list, but this facility is infrequently visited, and deserving of one. This facility has a lot of large exhibits with so-so signage. Electronically rotating signs are nobody's favorite, and I saw a number of species not listed on signs as well as several exhibits with no signage. However, I've done my best to compile a species list based on a recent visit and I look forward to visiting again soon (when they hopefully have better signage!). If a species is unsigned I will indicate it in the list below.

Nursery
1. Tentacled snake Erpeton tentaculatum
2. Spotted turtle Clemmys guttata
3. Colorado desert sidewinder Crotalus cerastes laterorepens
4. Plain-bellied water snake Nerodia erythrogaster
5. Reticulated diving skink Amphiglosuss reticulatus
6. Blue spiny lizard Sceloporus cyanogenys
7. Shield-tailed agama Xenagama taylori

Tropical Building
Several exhibits in this building can be viewed from both the top and bottom floors. Those exhibits have their numbers bolded.
Top Floor
1. Guatemalan beaded lizard, Heloderma charlesbogerti
2. Eastern water dragon Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii; Mertens' water monitor Varanus mertensi
3. Yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulata, Yellow-spotted river turtle Podocnemis unifilis, Green basilisk Basiliscus plumifrons (unsigned)
4. Blue tree monitor Varanus macreai
5. Cuban rock iguana Cyclura nubila, Cuban knight anole Anolis equestris (unsigned, unsure ID), Cuban slider Trachemys decussata (unsigned, unsure ID)
6. empty
7. Radiated tortoise Astrochelys radiata, Cuvier's Madagascar swift Oplurus cuvieri, two(?) unsigned and unidentified lizards
8. New Guinea tree dragon Hypsilurus magnus
9. Gila monster Heloderma suspectum
10. Woma Aspidites ramsayi
11. Western coachwhip Masticophis flagellum testaceus
12. Spencer's monitor Varanus spenceri
13. Pancake tortoise Malacochersus tornieri, Sungazer Smaug giganteus
14. Perentie Varanus giganteus
15. Crocodile monitor Varanus salvadorii
16. Lace monitor Varanus varius, Northern white-lipped python Leiopython albertisii
17. Western black tree snake Thrasops occidentalis
18. Jamaican anole Anolis garnani
19. Central American tree boa Corallus ruschenbergerii
20. Western giant anole Anolis luteogularis, Bearded false chameleon Anolis barbatus
21. Spotted butterfly lizard Leiolepis guttata, Siebenrock's snake-necked turtle Chelodina siebenrocki, Fly River turtle Carettochelys insculpta
22. Veiled chameleon Chamaeleo calyptratus
23. Yellow-backed spinytail igauana Ctenosaura flavidorsalis

Bottom Floor
1. empty
2. empty
3. empty
4. Eastern water dragon Intellagama lesueurii lesueurii; Mertens' water monitor Varanus mertensi
5. Yellow-footed tortoise Chelonoidis denticulata, Yellow-spotted river turtle Podocnemis unifilis, Green basilisk Basiliscus plumifrons (unsigned)
6. Blue tree monitor Varanus macreai
7. Cuban rock iguana Cyclura nubila, Cuban knight anole Anolis equestris (unsigned, unsure ID), Cuban slider Trachemys decussata (unsigned, unsure ID)
8. empty
9. Radiated tortoise Astrochelys radiata, Cuvier's Madagascar swift Oplurus cuvieri, two(?) unsigned and unidentified lizards
10. New Guinea tree dragon Hypsilurus magnus
11. West African gaboon viper Bitis rhinoceros
12. South American bushmaster Lachesis muta
13. Crocodile monitor Varanus salvadorii
14. Crocodile tegu Crocodilurus amazonicus, Red-headed Amazon River turtle Podocnemis erythrocephala, Orinoco matamata Chelus orinocensis
15. African rock python Python sebae, African plated lizard Broadleysaurus major, Smith's African water snake Grayia smithii
16. Dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis, African softshell turtle Trionyx triunguis, African helmeted turtle Pelomedusa subrufa
17. Northern emerald tree boa Corallus caninus
18. Green anaconda Eunectes murinus
19. Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis
20. empty
21. Mangrove pit viper Trimeresurus purpureomaculatus
22. Temple viper Tropidolaemus wagneri
23. Spotted butterfly lizard Leiolepis guttata, Siebenrock's snake-necked turtle Chelodina siebenrocki, Fly River turtle Carettochelys insculpta
24. Bahamian boa Chilabothrus strigilatus
25. Chihuahua ridgenose rattlesnake Crotalus willardi silus
26. Copperhead Agkistrodon contortrix (unsigned)
27. unsigned boa or python
28. Rock rattlesnake Crotalus lepidus
29. Mexican west coast rattlesnake Crotalus basiliscus
30. Rock rattlesnake Crotalus lepidus
31. Desert massasauga Sistrurus tergeminus edwardsii
32. Cuban boa Chilabothrus angulifer
33. Milos viper Macrovipera lebetina schweizeri
34. Axolotl Ambysoma mexicanum, Cliff anole Anolis bartschi
35. Scrub python Morelia amethistina
36. Viper boa Candoia aspera
37. Halmahera ground skink Eugongylus mentovarius
38. Argentine boa Boa constrictor occidentalis
39. Jamaican boa Chilabothrus striatus
40. Green bush rat snake Gonyosoma prasinum
41. White-lipped pit viper Trimeresurus albolabris
42. Rhinoceros rat snake Gonyosoma boulengeri
43. Reticulated diving skink Amphiglossus reticulatus, Yellow-spotted Amazon River turtle Podocnemis unifilis (unsigned, unsure of ID)
44. Crocodile lizard Shinisaurus crocodilurus, Giant Asian pond turtle Heosemys grandis
45. Green forest lizard Calotes calotes, Tentacled snake Erpeton tentaculatum
46. Sign broken, didn't see anything in exhibit
47. Green tree python Morelia viridis
48. Drakensberg crag lizard Pseudocordylus subviridis
49. Desert horned viper Cerastes cerastes
50. Unidentified Cantil Agkistrodon sp.
51. Unidentified viper Viperidae
52. Hog Island boa Boa imperator
53. Dwarf crocodile Osteolaemus tetraspis
54. Lace monitor Varanus varius, Northern white-lipped python Leiopython albertisii
55. Olive python Liasis olivaceus
56. Empty
57. Solomon Island spiny monitor Varanus spinulosus
58. Red blood python Python brongersmai
59. Solomon Island ground skink Eugongylus albofasciolatus
60. Prehensile tailed skink Corucia zebrata, Barred shark skink Eugongylus albofasciolatus (the same taxa as #59 under a different common name)
61. Jayakari lizard Omanosaura jayakari
62. Spotted python Antaresia maculosa
63. Coral cobra Aspidelaps lubricus cowlesi

Temperate Building
1. European green lacerta Lacerta viridis, European legless lizard Pseudopus apodus, European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, Dive snake Natrix tesellata, Marginated tortoise Testudo marginata (unsigned), Painted agama Stellagama stellio (unsigned), Jewelled lacerta Timon lepidus (unsigned)
2. Diamond python Morelia spilota spilota
3. Northern curly-tailed lizard Leicephalus carinatus, Eastern glass lizard Ophisaurus ventralis, Salt marsh snake Nerodia clarkii, Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus, Diamondback terrapin Malaclemys terrapin, Everglades rat snake Elaphe obsoleta rossalleni
4. Angolan python Python anchietae
5. Map turtle Gramptemys sp., Red-eared slider Trachemys scripta (unsigned), Southern water snake Nerodia fasciata, Spotted turtle Clemmys guttata, Gulf hammock rat snake Elaphe obsoleta williamsi, Florida box turtle Terrapene carolina bauri, 1? unsigned lizard
6. Texas alligator lizard Gerrhonotus infernalis
7. Mangshan pit viper Protobothrops mangshanensis
8. Boelen's python Simalia boeleni
9. Philippine sailfin lizard Hydrosaurus pustulatus, Sulawesi forest turtle Leucocephalon yuwonoi
10. Madagascar ground boa Acrantophis madagascariensis, Merrem's Madagascar swift Oplurus cyclurus, Oustalet's chameleon Furcifer oustaleti
11. Taylor's cantil Agkistrodon taylori
12. Desert box turtle Terrapene ornata luteola, Western coachip Masticophis flagellum, Western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox
13. Canebrake rattlesnake Crotalus horridus atricaudatus
14. Rio Fuerte beaded lizard Heloderma exasperatum
15. Mexican west coast rattlesnake Crotalus basiliscus
16. Black-tailed rattlesnake Crotalus molossus
17. Giant Canary Island lizard Gallotia galloti
18. Long-nosed viper Vipera ammodytes
19. Madagascar ground boa Acrantophis madagascariensis
20. False water cobra Hydrodynastes gigas, Yellow anaconda Eunectes notaeus, Collared tree lizard Plica plica
21. Western diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus atrox, Broad-banded copperhead Agkistrodon laticinctus, Trans-Pecos ratsnake Bogertophis subocularis

Whew! What a list. I did take photos, though I'm not sure when I'll get around to posting them. If anybody has any specific requests, or questions about the facility, I'll do my best to answer. I look forward to visiting again.

 

[Coelacanth18]

That's a fantastic lineup. I did a cursory count and got over 130 species, and a lot of those are rarely seen in US captive facilities.

The signage issues are unfortunate, but unsurprising. I don't think I've ever seen digital signage that I thought was an improvement over the old-school approach. Technology marches on without us, I guess

this facility is infrequently visited

To be fair, it seems to be pretty out there in the sticks; on paper it's a 1 hour drive from Austin, but I've looked at it on Google Maps before and it doesn't seem to be along any major route or near popular attractions. Judging by Street View it seems pretty easy to miss too - unless they've changed the entrance to look more flashy from the road by now?

It's also pretty new (IIRC @Kudu21 visited a year ago and one of those two buildings wasn't even open yet?) so maybe it just needs more time/exposure on the forum before a lot of people make their way out to it.

 

[jayjds2]

That's a fantastic lineup. I did a cursory count and got over 130 species, and a lot of those are rarely seen in US captive facilities.

The signage issues are unfortunate, but unsurprising. I don't think I've ever seen digital signage that I thought was an improvement over the old-school approach. Technology marches on without us, I guess

Absolutely agreed. I had a vague idea to expect lots of unusual species, and despite the fact that I have been around the block a few times when it comes to reptiles, I managed to get 15 or so lifers. I also enjoyed seeing sungazers and lace monitors - two species which I had seen before, but it'd been years. I missed about 5 further lifers (no doubt a side effect of the large exhibits) so it's safe to say this is truly a top-tier collection.

Some exhibits did have small paper cards instead of electronic signage. I wish that the facility would put this type of signage on every exhibit (it's far cheaper and likely is easier to update) while still having the rotating signage which would provide more detail as well as images.

To be fair, it seems to be pretty out there in the sticks; on paper it's a 1 hour drive from Austin, but I've looked at it on Google Maps before and it doesn't seem to be along any major route or near popular attractions. Judging by Street View it seems pretty easy to miss too - unless they've changed the entrance to look more flashy from the road by now?

It's also pretty new (IIRC @Kudu21 visited a year ago and one of those two buildings wasn't even open yet?) so maybe it just needs more time/exposure on the forum before a lot of people make their way out to it.

It is directly off of a highway, but not a major one (at least, not major during that particular stretch). There is a large sign on top of the building advertising the facility now (you can see the white framework for it on street view) so hopefully its prominence continues to grow. I read over some of the other threads on ZC about this facility. The proposed species list for the crocodile monitor exhibit interests me - although it is undoubtedly the best crocodile monitor exhibit I've ever seen (and quite possibly the best on the planet) I'm not sure the land portion/pool would make it a great NG croc and turtle exhibit. Regardless though, the people behind the facility have a great collection with great ideas and seem to be headed in the right direction.

 

[biggiesmalls]

Dang, missed this! We were just there this past Wednesday, had a blast and must've just missed you. I've got most of my thoughts in a separate thread (Reptilandia Reptile Lagoon - Full Review, Species List, and Walk-Through!), but I did forget to touch on signage. I agree that they could definitely use a better system, and the paper ID cards are probably best. Even if they want to stick with the tablets, allow guests to rotate through them and KEEP THEM UPDATED. Tonnnnnnnnnns of species missing from signage on my visit, when I know for a fact there are people out there that would do that sort of thing just for fun

Few things - there is an Indonesian Blue-Tongued Skink (Tiliqua gigas) on display with the Blue Tree Monitors. The Cuban Slider ID is correct, but the anoles are Smallwood's (Anolis smallwoodi). 6 on your list will have Black Tree Monitors (Varanus beccarii) eventually. The big Madagascar exhibit also contains Southeastern Girdled Lizards (Zonosaurus maximus), some sort of Phelsuma, and a Madagascar Big-Headed Turtle (Erymnochelys madagascariensis). The Crocodile Monitors live alongside Philippine Sailfin Lizards (Hydrosaurus pustulatus), a Fly River Turtle (Carettochelys insculpta), and Red-Bellied Short-Necked Turtles (Emydura subglobosa). 20 on your list is home to some species of Anolis, not sure which though. The snake-necks in the main FRT tank are Chelodina rugosa under current taxonomy. The unsigned Copperheads near the entrance are laticinctus. 27 on your list is a Dominican Red Mountain Boa (Chilabothrus striatus striatus). The Yellow-Spotted River Turtle in with the Giant Water Skinks is correct! 46 has some sort of snake in it that I'll upload in the next few days, my money is on Drymarchon sp. or Ptyas carinata (waiting to hear back). Not sure what 51 is referring to, but assuming it's the same as the Agkistrodon sp. mentioned before (also not sure whether it's bilineatus or another taylori). White-Lipped Pythons were probably a mistake on the signage, they weren't signed or out on my visit and that would be a pretty horrendous mix with Lace Monitors, lol. 56 on your list had a MASSIVE pair of Madagascar Ground Boas (Acrantophis madagascariensis) moved into it on the morning of my visit. The tortoises in South-Central Europe should be Greek (Testudo graeca). Map Turtles should be G. geographica, sliders are T. s. elegans. Pantherophis taxonomy has been a disaster for a while, but both of their signed names are rarely accepted - interesting choice there. Philippine sailfins are signed, but they are actually Hydrosaurus amboinensis. Another interesting choice, rotating the only two species of sailfin NOT found on Sulawesi through their Sulawesi exhibit . 19 in the Temperate Building also has Phelsuma grandis, and the West Texas exhibit has at least one Sonoran Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer affinis).

Dang, more than a few I guess