9 Of The World’s Rarest Reptiles

From a turtle that looks like a punk rocker to a lizard we just discovered in the jungle, here are 9 of the world’s rarest reptiles!!

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9. Gharial
Sometimes called the fish-eating crocodile or the gavial, the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) is an Asian freshwater crocodilian species with a distinctive long, thin snout. It lives in rivers and spends little time on land, typically only leaving the water to sunbathe, which helps these cold-blooded reptiles regulate their body temperature, or to nest.

8. Roti Island Snake-Necked Turtle
The critically-endangered Roti Island snake-necked turtle (Chelodina mccordi) is known for its uniquely long neck, which prevents the turtle from directly withdrawing its head into its shell, instead folding its neck sideways. Native to the Indonesian island of Rote, the species can also be found in Australia, New Guinea, and East Timor.

7. Armadillo Lizard
This little guy is actually real!! The armadillo lizard (Ouroborus cataphractus) is a terrestrial lizard species that gets its name from its tendency to curl into a ball as a defensive position. Just like an armadillo! It will stay like this for about an hour if it has to, to protect its delicate belly and other body parts from harm. But this creature, which is native to South Africa, is fascinating for reasons beyond its unique armor.

6. Leatherback Sea Turtle
Named for the texture of its shell, the leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) is the world’s largest turtle, and they are SUPER huge!! Way bigger than I thought with front flippers measuring up to 8.9 feet (2.7 meters). It’s also the last surviving member of both the Dermochelys genus and the Dermochelyidae family. Unlike most other modern sea turtles, the leatherback sea turtle lacks a bony shell, and has a carapace that is covered by skin and oily flesh.

5. Psychedelic Rock Gecko
There are only an estimated 500 adult psychedelic rock geckos (Cnemaspis psychedelica) left in the wild, and they are only found on the tiny Vietnamese island of Hon Khoai. These extremely rare lizards are threatened primarily by habitat loss and predation — mainly by the invasive long-tailed macaque, according to Australian Geographic contributor Bec Crew.

4. Mary River Turtle/”Punk Turtle”
The Mary River turtle (Elusor macrurus) is perhaps the most unique-looking turtle out there. Nicknamed the “punk turtle” for its bright green “mohawk,” this distinctive creature is endemic to Queensland, Australia’s Mary River. This ancient species diverged from all other living turtles around 40 million years ago — long before humans split from other primates, roughly 10 million years ago!

3. Earless Monitor Lizard
The earless monitor lizard’s scientific name — Lanthanotus borneensis — literally translates to “found in Borneo,” and that’s because it was, in 1877. Between then and recent years, less than 100 specimens were captured by scientists and collectors.

2. Abingdon Island Giant Tortoise
Officially the world’s rarest reptile, according to Guinness World Records, the Abingdon Island giant tortoise (Geochelone elephantopus abingdoni), a subspecies of the also-incredibly-rare Galápagos giant tortoise, was, until relatively recently, represented by a single known specimen nicknamed “Lonesome George.” They, or he, was also known as the Pinta Giant Tortoise.

1. Round Island Keel-Scaled Boa
The Round Island keel-scaled boa (Casarea dussumieri) is the last surviving member of the Bolyeridae family, and it’s also not a true boa. In fact, the species diverged from all other snakes around 65 million years ago, right before the dinosaurs went extinct.

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