reptile

Let's talk about turtles for a moment. Turtles are one of the oldest living animals on Earth, these beauties date all the way back to the time of the dinosaurs over 200 million years ago! Turtles also have an incredibly long lifespan, according to National Geographic, the oldest turtle ever recorded was named Tu"i Malila and that turtle passed away at the very impressive age of 188! 

Dear turtles, what is your secret for living so long? Sincerely, everyone in the world. It's no secret that turtles are amazing creatures. And it's important to know that these beautiful animals, regardless of how long they CAN live, are also on the endangered list. There are approximately 129 of 300 species of turtle and tortoise on Earth currently. Of those numbers, they are either vulnerable, endangered, or even critically endangered. Why? Loss of habitat, poaching, and illegal pet trade. And while these are the main reasons listed by the IUCN, we're sure all that plastic waste in our oceans isn't helping them out either. 

Let's take care of these incredible old reptiles. And let's begin by celebrating their awesomeness with a meme's list purely dedicated to them! 

If a ten-foot-long dinosaur-looking creature showed up at your house one day, what would you do? Knowing ourselves, we would probably do exactly what this university student did honestly - pick up our phone and film the whole thing. It is not every day, of course, that one gets to encounter a 'dinosaur'.

Of course, the video of the incident that was posted on TikTok that went viral terrified some people while being very amusing to others, specifically, to Australians. As Daily Mail reports, Isabell Ryan who is 18 and lives near Warrigal, was studying when she noticed the enormous reptile - which is either a lace monitor or a tree goanna - come to her glass door. The video, which you can watch below, went viral, and the response was hilarious. 

Thank goodness for good people! One kind Imgur user has shared with the popular online community the new rescue that came into their care -- a gecko! A gecko named Haru. 

The Imgur user, Stereotypicallesbianbarista, saw a photo of this poor reptile who had scars and burns, and very evident tail rot and knew immediately they needed to take the poor thing into their care. Thank you so much, Stereotypicallesbianbarista, for caring about this little reptile and taking action to help heal him and give Haru a proper life. The world could use more people like you. 

The commentary below is provided by the original Imgur user:

We know snakes aren't people's favorite when it comes to animals, and we get it. They can be quite terrifying to encounter in real life. Yet, as terrifying as they are, that does not mean that they're not beautiful. When we think of the terms "dangerously beautiful" we think of snakes... and sometimes spiders. Their scales can be so exotic and breathtaking, with colors you don't see on other animals. These reptiles are mesmerizing. 

So, try to place the initial fear you may be feeling for these reptiles and let them slither into your heart for just a moment. 

Introducing the world's smallest (maybe) reptile, the Brookesia nana! According to National Geographic, this species is likely to be the smallest reptile on Earth! Before the Brookesia nana was discovered, it was believed that another tiny chameleon species, Brookesia micra, was the smallest reptile species on Earth. 

The new Brookesia nana species is roughly about the size of a sunflower seed and can fit on the tip of a finger. This tiny chameleon species from Madagascar may already be facing endangerment. 

While the future of the species is uncertain, due ro the forest being serverly degraded, the good news is that these adorable chameleons have recently been included in a new protected area in Madagascar. 

If you ever were to see one of these snakes in real life, the first instinct would probably be to run away -- and quickly. But if you stopped for a moment longer, you could appreciate just how magnificent their coloring can be. Some of these snakes straight-up just look like dragons. Especially bush vipers that have dragon-like scales and a dragon-shaped head.

Snakes are some of the most misunderstood creatures despite there being lots of snake facts and information available. People seem to have a natural fear and avoidance of snakes, even though some, like the zombie snake, are just big goofy nope-ropes that won't even hurt anyone. 

Snakes in general are fairly common all over the world, as it is believed snakes evolved from burrowing lizards, which were already world-wide. Some snakes are extremely rare, and seeing them is a real treat for enthusiasts. Just be sure to keep a safe distance, and make sure to do that funny dance everyone does if you touch the snake's skin and it grosses you out.