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plesnercph.bsky.social
plesnercph🇩🇰
@plesnercph.bsky.social
1.5K followers 530 following 2.3K posts
Animal nerd. Ethology. Languages. Etymology. Single malt whisky. Most things science.

The monitor lizard in my banner is a Varanus varius in Copenhagen Zoo.
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plesnercph.bsky.social
🐊Cuban crocodile (Crocodylus rhombifer).

Max size 350 cm (11'5.8").

Only found in two tiny areas in Cuba. This species has the smallest range of any crocodile.

Considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

📷by Connor Padraic Mallon, Smithsonian's National Zoo
The head of a grey crocodile with a greenish tint is sitting just visible above the water. An almost perfect mirror image of the crocodile head can be seen reflected in the very calm water below. The crocodile is looking to the left in the picture.
December 28, 2025 at 1:21 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐢Yellow-spotted Amazon river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis).

Max carapace length 45 cm (17.7").

Found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru and Venezuela.

Considered Vulnerable by the IUCN.

📷by kuritafsheen77 on Freepik
The front half of a turtle. The plastron and the edge of the carapace are mostly light brown. The body, legs and head are all black. The throat and underside of the neck is grey. There are some bright yellow markings on the head. The turtle is looking to the right in the picture.
December 27, 2025 at 2:05 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
Do you know the kind of movie you'll watch if it happens to be on tv - even though you've seen it many times before?

I just watched a Norwegian stop motion movie from '75. I have watched it 10+ times and I still enjoy it.

www.imdb.com/title/tt0073...
The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix (1975) ⭐ 8.4 | Animation, Comedy, Family
1h 28m | G
www.imdb.com
December 26, 2025 at 4:19 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Juvenile eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). At this stage it is known as a red eft.

Max. size ~127 mm (~5").

The colour warns that they are poisonous.

Found in eastern parts of both Canada and the United States.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Connor McManus on Pexels
An orange juvenile (called a red eft) of the eastern newt is sitting on the ground among twigs and moss plants. It has numerous tiny black spots and a row of red spots circled by a thin black line. It is on its way towards the back left of the picture.
December 26, 2025 at 12:35 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🦎Veiled chameleon (Chamaeleo calyptratus).

Max size males 61 cm (24"), females 35 cm (14").

Has a prehensile tail.

Found in southwestern Saudi Arabia and western Yemen. It is an introduced species in Hawaii and Florida.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by jonleong64 on Pixabay
The picture shows a green and yellow chameleon Holding on to a piece of wood. It is pointing to the left in the picture and left eye is looking towards the camera. The entire chameleon is covered in alternating green and yellow bands, though the green bits on its legs are more turquoise in colour. It also has a pointy casque on its head.
December 25, 2025 at 12:29 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐍California kingsnake (Lampropeltis californiae)

Max. size 200 cm (79"), but usually closer to half that size.

Nonvenomous.

Found in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah as well as parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Mexico.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Kapa65 on Pixabay
The front part of a black and white snake on top of a piece of wood. The snake has alternate black and white bands and a white jaw. The snake is heading to the right in the picture.
December 23, 2025 at 11:14 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Oriental fire-bellied toad (Bombina orientalis).

Max size 5.1 cm (2").

Eats insects and other invertebrates.

Mildly poisonous.

Found in Korea and in the north-eastern parts of China and Russia.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by kuritafsheen77 on Freepik
A frog is Sitting on the edge of a large green leaf. It is looking to the right of the camera. The frog is marbled green and black on top of its head as well as on its back, arms and legs. The throat, belly and fingers are black and orange.
December 22, 2025 at 11:34 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🦎Common blue-tongued skink (Tiliqua scincoides) in a pet shop in Copenhagen.

Max length 56 cm (22").

Eats snails, insects, reptiles, fruits and other plant matter.

May live for more than 20 years.

Found in Northern Australia.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by plesnercph
An olive colored lizard with brownish stripes along its sides, back and tail. The lizards throat and belly are yellowish/cream-coloured. It is sitting on a piece of wood in a terrarium. There's a piece of cork bark in the background. It is looking to the right in the picture.
December 22, 2025 at 12:10 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Leopard snake (Zamenis situla).

This is the more common blotched variant. One with the same colours but longitudinal stripes also exists.

Max. size 100 cm (39.4").

Found in Italy, the Balkans, parts of Turkey and Ukraine.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Mihailo Jovicevic on Pexels
A whitish grey rat snake is partly curled up in the picture. It has an reddish brown eye with a black pupil. There are black markings on the head. Along the back, there are reddish brown spots with black borders. Along the sides there are a number of black spots. It is looking slightly to the right of the camera.
December 21, 2025 at 12:04 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Oviedo fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra bernardezi).

Max. size 30 cm (11.8").

This subspecies is found in parts of northern Spain.

Crepuscular/nocturnal.

Not evaluated by the IUCN.

📷by wirestock on Freepik
A yellow and black salamander on a piece of wood. It is mostly yellow with irregular black 'stripes' along the back and sides. More black markings can be seen around the mouth and on the legs. It has dark brown eyes with black pupils. The salamander is looking/heading to the left in the picture.
December 19, 2025 at 11:13 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🦎Dune gecko (Stenodactylus petrii).

Max size ~12 cm (4.7").

Nocturnal.

Found in mostly sandy habitats in Algeria, Egypt, Eritrea, Israel, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Senegal, Sudan and Tunisia.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by kuritafsheen77 on Freepik
A tiny lizard is sitting on a piece of wood. The lizard is dark brown with whitish markings. The legs are light brown with tiny dark markings. The throat, belly and the toes are white. It is looking to the right in the picture.
December 18, 2025 at 11:25 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐍Western hognose snake (Heterodon nasicus).

Max. size 90 cm (35").

The upturned scale on its nose is used when burrowing.

Found in southern parts of central Canada, Central United States and into northern Mexico.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Kapa65 on Pixabay
The front part of light brown snake with dark brown markings. A few white markings can be seen on and around its head. It has black eyes. The upturned scale on its snout is clearly visible. It is heading towards the bottom right of the picture.
December 17, 2025 at 11:14 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Strawberry poison frog (Oophaga pumilio).

Max size 23 mm (0.9").

Found in Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama.

Oophaga means egg eater. The tadpoles eat unfertilized eggs which the female deposits every few days.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by hbieser on Pixabay
A orange/red frog is sitting on a brown surface. The frog is heading to the right in the picture.
December 16, 2025 at 11:00 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🦎Tokay gecko (Gekko gecko).

Called 'tokay' because that is what the sound of a male sounds like.

Max. size 40 cm (15.7").

Found in tropical Asia, from northeastern India in the west to Indonesia in the east.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by kuritafsheen77 on Freepik
A greyish/light blue gecko with yellowish/orangey spots is looking directly at the camera. The shape of its mouth makes it look like it is smiling. The background is blurry brown.
December 15, 2025 at 11:47 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐍Eastern green mamba (Dendroaspis angusticeps).

Max. size ~240 cm (~7'10"). Males tend to be a bit smaller than females.

Venomous.

Mostly arboreal.

Found in Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar and Zimbabwe.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷PCExotics on Pixabay
The head, neck and front part of the body of a green snake. The snake is crawling along a branch among brown leaves. It is moving towards the right of the camera.
December 14, 2025 at 11:35 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐢Radiated tortoise (Astrochelys radiata) in Hartley's Crocodile Adventures.

Max carapace length 38 cm (15").

From Madagascar. Has been introduced to Réunion and Mauritius.

Threatened by poaching and habitat destruction.

Considered Critically endangered by the IUCN.

📷the Smithsonian Institution
A tortoise is walking towards the photographer while looking slightly to the right in the picture. The legs and most of the head and neck are brown or yellowish brown. The top of the head is black. The carapace is black with yellow spots. There are yellow lines radiating from each of these yellow spots. The ground is covered in grass.
December 14, 2025 at 1:19 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Common toads (Bufo bufo) in amplexus.

Max size 15 cm (5.9"). Males usually smaller.

Found over most of Europe, east to south central Siberia and in parts of North Africa.

Can secrete a milky poisonous substance if threatened.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Erik Karits on Pexels
Two toads are sitting on the ground one on top of the other. The smaller toad is a male, the larger one is a female. The male is on the back of the female. The male is clasping the female just behind her front limbs. both toads are dark brown with lighter markings. They are looking to the left of the camera.
December 12, 2025 at 11:18 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🦎Common wall gecko (Tarentola mauritanica).

Max size 15 cm (5.9").

Found in southern Europe and northern Africa close to the Mediterranean. Has been introduced to quite a few places around the world.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by kuritafsheen77 on Freepik
A greyish brown gecko is sitting on a dark vertical surface. The head is darker and there are similarly coloured dark bands across the back and on the legs. A few white spots are scattered around the head, body and legs of the gecko. It is looking down in the picture.
December 11, 2025 at 11:21 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐍Green whip snake (Hierophis viridiflavus). This picture shows the H. v. carbonarius subspecies.

Max. size 2 m (6'7").

Found in Andorra, Croatia, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Slovenia, northern Spain and southern Switzerland.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by wirestock on Freepik
The front part of a black snake with a whitish jaw is on its way across some rocks. The rocks are mostly white/light grey. The snake is moving from right to left in the picture.
December 10, 2025 at 11:29 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris).

Max. size 11 cm (4.3").

Found in most of Europe and east to Siberia and Kazakhstan. Absent from northern Scandinavia and from the southernmost parts of Europe.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Yuri Meesen on Pexels
A dark olive-coloured newt is looking over the edge of a flat reddish brown stone. A yellow line runs along its mouth and continues down the side of the body. Another yellow line start at the nostrils and stops just behind the eye. Dark spots can be seen at the belly below the yellow line and also just be made out in the dark areas on the back and upper sides. It is looking down and to the right in the picture.
December 10, 2025 at 1:59 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🦎Panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis).

Max total length for males ~50 cm (~20"), for females ~43 cm (~17").

Males are fiercely territorial.

Found in northern parts of Madagascar.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Hobbyfotograf08 on Pixnio
Green and turquoise chameleon on a thin branch. It has an irregular white line along its side. The lips are white, too. The curled up tail is turquoise and green like the body. The chameleon is moving to the right in the picture.
December 8, 2025 at 10:47 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐍Timor python (Malayopython timoriensis).

Max size 305 cm (10').

Found on the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷Connor Mallon, Smithsonian's National Zoo
A yellowish snake with dark marking. It is Yellowish on the throat and belly on the front part of the body. Further down the body, the belly is dark brown. Similarly, the back is dark brown with yellow markings in between, These yellow markings become gradually both smaller and less yellow along the body of the snake. The top of the snake at the rear half of the body is medium brown bordered by black. The snake is on a dark surface. It is looking to the right in the picture. A forked pink tongue is sticking out of its mouth.
December 8, 2025 at 3:16 AM
plesnercph.bsky.social
📷Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus).

Max size over 610 cm (20'). Males are larger than females.

Found in sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile river Valley. A small population exists in Madagascar.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by tomasz-dworczyk-podroz-za-milion-zdjec on Pexels
A mostly brownish/greyish crocodile is lying in some grass. Behind it is a body of water. The crocodile has its mouth open. It is looking to the right in the picture.
December 6, 2025 at 11:37 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
Bourret's box turtle (Cuora bourreti).

Max carapace size 20 cm (7.9").

Found in Laos and Vietnam.

Threatened by habitat destruction and overcollection.

Considered Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

📷Jim and Pam Jenkins🐢, Smithsonian's National Zoo
The front half of a turtle in the water below a piece of wood. The turtle is mostly brown with some yellow and creamy colours on the throat and around the mouth. It has a few black lines on top of and on the sides of the head. There are a few black markings on the carapace as well. The turtle is looking up and to the right in the picture.
December 5, 2025 at 11:35 PM
plesnercph.bsky.social
🐸Tomato frog (Dyscophus antongilii).

Max. size 105 mm (4.1"). Males are significantly smaller than females.

Insectivorous.

Secretes a toxic substance from the skin if threatened.

Found in Madagascar.

Considered Least Concern by the IUCN.

📷by Falco Negenman on Unsplash
A large orange brown frog is sitting on a large green leaf. The throat and belly paler in colour than the back. A dark stripe can be seen from just behind the eye to more than half way down its side. The frog has white fingertips. It is looking to the right in the picture.
December 4, 2025 at 11:32 PM