Each of our animals is an ambassador to its wild cousins, hence our club name. Here are some facts about each species and the names and pictures of some of our ambassadors.
Invertebrates
Madagascar Hissing Cockroach (Gromphadorhina portentosa) Range: The island of Madagascar Diet: Rotting fruit and leaves Lifespan: 2-5 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: You can tell if these cockroaches are male or female, just by looking at their head. Males have horns and females don't. Ecological importance: They break down forest debris and are a food source for larger animals.
Chilean Rose-hair Tarantula (Grammostola rosea) Range: Chile Diet: Insects Lifespan: Males up to 5 years, females up to 25 years IUCN: NE Interesting Fact: These tarantulas have something called urticating hairs on them. They will use their legs to flick them off onto a predator. They can cause a very itchy, sometimes painful sensation. Ambassador name(s): Rosé (pictured) Ecological importance: They help control populations of smaller insects.
Reptiles
Red-Footed Tortoise (Geochelone carbonaria) Range: Parts of Central and South America Diet: Fruits, vegetables, flowers, animal carrion, invertebrates Lifespan: 50-60 years IUCN: NE; protected by CITES Interesting Fact: This tortoise is considered "fish" by the Catholic Church. Ambassador name(s): Molly, Timmy Ecological importance: They are important seed dispersal agents for a number of rain forest plants. They are also burrowers, which helps churn the soil and provide habitat for other animals.
African Spurred (Sulcata) Tortoise (Geochelone sulcata) Range: Southern edge of the Sahara Desert Diet: Plants Lifespan: 80-100 years IUCN: VU Interesting Fact: Escapes the African heat by digging burrows up to 10 feet deep. Ambassador name(s): Tater (pictured), Buddy Ecological importance: Sulcata tortoises dig burrows up to 10 feet deep. Other animals use abandoned burrows as shelter.
Three-toed Box Turtle (Terrapene carolina triunguis) Range: East Coast to Texas Diet: Snails, worms, insects, spiders, frogs, salamanders, lizards, small mammals, carrion, plants, berries Lifespan: 50 years in the wild, 80 years in captivity IUCN: VU Interesting Fact: They have a hinge on their shell, which allows them to go inside and close completely. Ambassador name(s): Wally (pictured), Eva Ecological importance: Their diet is 90% plant matter, so they are important for seed dispersal.
Leopard Gecko (Eublepharis macularius) Range: Iran to Northwest India Diet: Insects; beetles, centipedes, and even spiders and scorpions Lifespan: 10-20 years IUCN: NE Interesting Fact: One of only a few gecko species with eyelids. Ambassador name(s): Leo (bottom) Ecological importance: They eat and are eaten by a wide variety of animals. They control insect populations.
Central Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps) Range: Australia Diet: Plants, insects, and occasionally small rodents and other lizards Lifespan: 10 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Throat and neck will become inflated when this lizard feels threatened. Ambassador name(s): Chompers, London, Spike, Phil Ecological importance: An important predator and prey in their ecosystem.
Argentine Black and White Tegu (Salvator merianae) Range: Southern Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, Northern Argentina, Northern Uruguay Diet: Vegetable matter, insects, mollusks, small mammals, birds, amphibians. Lifespan: 15-20 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Black and white tegus are excellent swimmers and can stay underwater for long periods of time. Ambassador name(s): Merced (pictured) Ecological importance: Feeds on a wide variety of plants and animals and could be crucial in seed dispersal.
Green Iguana (Iguana iguana) Range: Southern Mexico to Central Brazil, the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean Diet: Leaves, flowers, and fruit Lifespan: 20 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Due to high populations, green iguanas are often called "gallina de palo" or "bamboo chicken." They have been used as a food source for humans in Central and South America for 7000 years. Ambassador name(s): Pumpkin (pictured), Greenbean Ecological importance: Green iguanas sometimes feed on certain types of flowers, rather than the most abundant. Crocodiles and caimans will eat iguanas.
Gila Monster (Heloderma suspectum) Range: Primarily in Arizona and Mexico. Can be found in Utah, California, Nevada, and New Mexico. Diet: Small birds, small mammals, eggs, carrion, lizards, frogs, insects. Lifespan: 20 years IUCN: NT Interesting Fact: A drug for Type 2 diabetes is called lizard spit, because it is based on a protein from Gila Monster saliva. Ambassador name(s): Julio Ecological importance: Not very much is known about Gila Monster ecology, but they have a broad diet, which suggests they are an important predator in their ecosystem.
Ball Python (Python regius) Range: Central Africa Diet: Primarily small rodents Lifespan: 20-30 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Their name refers to their main defense mechanism: rolling into a ball with their head in the middle. Ambassador name(s): Monty (pictured), Cami, Cleo Ecological importance: Important species for rodent control.
Red-Tailed Boa (Boa constictor constrictor) Range: Mexico and Northern South America Diet: Birds, small mammals, amphibians, reptiles, eggs Lifespan: Up to 35 years IUCN: NE Interesting Fact: Boas and pythons have vestigal limbs that may be the evolutionary remnants of legs. Ambassador name(s): Phil Ecological importance: Important predators of rodents.
Kenyan Sand Boa (Gongylophis colubrinus loveridgei) Range: Eastern Africa Diet: Primarily rodents Lifespan: 20 years IUCN: NE Interesting Fact: Spend most of their time in shallow burrows with just their head exposed. Their eyes and nostrils are placed so sand won't get in them. Ambassador name(s): Ash (pictured) Ecological importance: Keeps rodent populations under control.
Burmese Python (Python bivittatus) Range: Southeast Asia Diet: Mammals, birds, and reptiles of appropriate size Lifespan: 30 years IUCN: VU Interesting Fact: The Burmese Python is one of the six largest snakes. They can grow up to 20 feet long and 200 pounds. Ambassador name(s): Sarabi (pictured) Ecological importance: Their young and eggs are eaten by a variety of animals. They also important predators of small mammals.
Corn Snake (Pantherophis guttatus) Range: Eastern and Southeastern United States Diet: Small mammals, birds, eggs, lizards, insects Lifespan: Up to 25 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Their name may have come from the similarities in their checkered belly patterns to Indian corn. Or it could be because they sometimes hang around corn fields due to the abundance of rodents. Ambassador name(s): Bellatrix, Caramel (pictured) Ecological importance: Rodent control.
Rubber Boa (Charina bottae) Range: Northwestern US Diet: Lizards and small mammals Lifespan: 7.5 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Because their tail looks so much like their head, rubber boas will sometimes try to confuse predators by coiling up and making a striking motion with their tail. Ambassador name(s): Bandy Ecological importance: This boa species lives farther north than any other boa species.
California Kingsnake (Lampropeltis getula californiae) Range: Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico Diet: Mammals, lizards, birds, eggs, amphibians, insects, other snakes Lifespan: 5 years in the wild, 30 years in captivity IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: They are named kingsnake, because of their ability to eat venomous snakes. Kingsnakes themselves aren't venomous, though. They are constrictors. Ambassador name(s): Reeses (pictured) Ecological Importance: They can eat rattlesnakes, so they keep the rattlesnake population in check.
Carpet Python (Morelia spilota) Range: Northern Australia Diet: Mammals and birds Lifespan: 20-30 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Their name may come from their patterns looking similar to old carpet patterns. Ambassador name(s): Kaa (pictured), Sir Hiss Ecological importance: They control rodent populations and are a food source for some birds.
Great Basin Gopher Snake (Pituophis catenifer) Range: Northern Mexico to Southern Canada Diet: Small mammals, lizards, small snakes, insects, eggs, birds Lifespan: 12-15 years IUCN: LC Interesting fact: They will often imitate rattle snakes by vibrating their tail to scare off predators. Ambassador name(s): Willy (pictured) Ecological importance: They control rodent populations.
Mammals
Amphibians
Tiger Salamander (Ambystoma tigrinum) Range: Most of North America Diet: Earthworms and other invertebrates Lifespan: 5-6 years in the wild, 12-15 years in captivity IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: Tiger salamanders can grow up to 14 inches in length, making them one of the largest terrestrial salamanders in the US. Ambassador name(s): Tigger (pictured) Ecological importance: Most amphibians are what's called an indicator species. They "indicate" whether an ecosystem is healthy or not. The more amphibians there are the healthier the environment.
Great Basin Spadefoot Toad (Spea intermontana) Range: Western US Diet: Ants and some beetles Lifespan: 13 years IUCN: LC Interesting Fact: This is the most common amphibian in Utah. Ambassador name(s): Spade (pictured) Ecological importance: Most amphibians are what's called an indicator species. They "indicate" whether an ecosystem is healthy or not. The more amphibians there are the healthier the environment.