Victorian Carpet Python
Scientific name : Morelia spilota metcalfei
Other names: Murray-Darling Carpet Python, Inland Carpet Python
Status : Critically Endangered in Victoria (Only ~160 confirmed records in Vic)
Diamond Python
Scientific name : Morelia spilota spilota
Status : Least Concern (NSW), Endangered (Vic)
Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) – Facts, Diet & Care
Scientific name : Pogona vitticeps
Other names: Beardie, Bearded Dragon
Status : Least Concern
Woma Python
Scientific name : Aspidites ramsayi
Other names: Woma, Ramsay's python, Sand python
Status : Least concern
Shingleback Lizard
Scientific name : Tiliqua rugosa
Other names: Over 30, including Stumpy-tailed Lizard, Bobtail, Boggi, and Sleepy lizard
Status : Least Concern
Frilled Neck Lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii) – Facts & Adaptations
Scientific name : Chlamydosaurus kingii
Other names: Frill-neck, Frilly
Status : Least Concern
Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus) – Facts & Size
Scientific name : Liasis olivaceus
Other names: Olive Python
Status : Least Concern (Pilbara subspecies is Vulnerable)
Centralian Carpet Python
Scientific name : Morelia bredli
Other names: Bredli python, Bredl’s python
Status : Least Concern
Eastern Blue-Tongued Lizard (Tiliqua scincoides) – Facts & Habitat
Scientific name : Tiliqua scincoides
Other names: Bluey, Blue-Tongue Skink
Status : Least Concern
Western Blue-tongued Lizard
Scientific name : Tiliqua occipitalis
Other names: Western blue-tongued skink
Status : Threatened (NSW), Near Threatened (Victoria), Least concern (Nationally)
Blotched Blue-tongued Lizard
Scientific name : Tiliqua nigrolutea
Other names: Southern blue-tongued lizard, ‘Blotchy’. Different locales have different names e.g. Alpine, Lowlands, Tasmanian or Flinders Island blotched blue-tongued lizard.
Status : Least concern
Northern Blue-tongued Lizard
Scientific name : Tiliqua scincoides intermedia
Other names: Northern blue-tongue skink
Status : Least concern
Rough-Scaled Python (Morelia carinata) – Facts & Habitat
Scientific name : Morelia carinata
Other names: Rough-scaled Python, Roughie
Status : Near Threatened (IUCN)
Jacky Dragon
Scientific name : Amphibolurus muricatus
Other names: Jacky tree dragon, Jacky lizard, Jacky Jacky, Ta-Ta lizard, Tree Dragon
Status : Common and widespread
Yellow-spotted Monitor
Scientific name : Varanus panoptes
Other names: Floodplains goanna, Argus monitor
Status : Vulnerable
Spencer’s Monitor
Scientific name : Varanus spenceri
Other names: Spencer’s goanna
Status : Least Concern, but considered ‘Uncommon’.
Lace Monitor
Scientific name : Varanus varius
Other names: Tree goanna, ‘Lacey’
Status : Least Concern, Endangered (Vic)
Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) – Facts & Danger
Scientific name : Crocodylus porosus
Other names: Salty, Estuarine Crocodile
Status : Least Concern, Vulnerable in Queensland
Freshwater Crocodile
Scientific name : Crocodylus johnsoni
Other names: Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnstone’s river crocodile, ‘Freshie’
Status : Least concern
Northern Long-necked Turtle
Scientific name : Chelodina rugosa
Other names: Northern snake-necked turtle, Northern side-necked turtle
Status : Near Threatened
Mary River Turtle
Scientific name : Elusor macrurus
Other names: Mary River Tortoise
Status : Critically Endangered
Murray River Short-necked Turtle
Scientific name : Emydura macquarii macquarii
Other names: Murray River Tortoise. Other subspecies known by other names as well
Status : Vulnerable (Vic, SA)
Eastern Long-Necked Turtle
Scientific name : Chelodina longicollis
Other names: Eastern snake-necked turtle,
Status : Common, with most populations considered secure
Broad-shelled Turtle
Scientific name : Chelodina (Macrochelodina) expansa
Other names: Broad-shelled river turtle, Broad-shelled snake-necked turtle
Status : Least Concern (nationally), Vulnerable (SA), Threatened (VIC)
Australia is home to some of the most unique and diverse cold-blooded creatures on the planet. As Melbourne’s Mobile Zoo, Reptile Encounters is proud to care for a wide range of these native animals, serving as ambassadors for their wild counterparts. Our goal is to connect students and the public with nature, providing the “inspire moment” that leads to a lifetime of conservation.
Below, you can learn more about the specific groups of animals we bring to our school incursions and events.
Pythons: The Gentle Giants
Australia has no native vipers or cobras, but we do have an incredible array of pythons. These non-venomous constrictors are a highlight of our shows.
- The Heavyweights: Meet the Olive Python, the second-largest snake in Australia, capable of eating wallabies in the wild.
- The Rare & Elusive: Learn about the Rough-scaled Python, a species with unique keeled scales found only in the remote gorges of the Kimberley.
Lizards: Dragons, Skinks & Goannas
From the deserts of the Red Centre to the backyards of Melbourne, lizards are everywhere. Our collection showcases the incredible adaptations they use to survive.
- Backyard Buddies: The Eastern Blue-Tongued Lizard is a gardener’s best friend, famous for its bluff defense and love of snails.
- The Show-Offs: Few animals are as iconic as the Frilled Neck Lizard, which uses its massive neck frill to scare off predators, or the Central Bearded Dragon, known for its friendly “arm-waving” communication.
Crocodiles & Turtles
No list of Australian reptiles is complete without the apex predator of the north. The Saltwater Crocodile is a living dinosaur that teaches us to respect the power of nature. On the gentler side, our freshwater turtles demonstrate the importance of healthy waterways in our ecosystems.
Conservation Through Education
Why do we share these facts? Because we believe you protect what you love, and you love what you understand. By bringing these animals into classrooms across Victoria, we aim to dispel myths (like the idea that all snakes are aggressive) and foster a genuine respect for our environment. Whether it’s a kids party or a corporate seminar, meeting these reptiles up close is an unforgettable experience.
Browse the profiles above to learn diet, habitat, and conservation facts about each species.
Reptile Encounters would like to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land, the people of the Kulin Nation, who have never ceded sovereignty. This always was and always will be Aboriginal land.