Indonesia & their sick selves

 Ugh.. when it comes to reptiles, I am extra sensitive. I have had many as pets, I wouldn't ever have them again because I see now it is cruel to cage these exotic creatures and try to copy their necessities. But anyway, let's talk about snakes first.. they've been around since the dinosaurs. Most that live near humans are harmless and the encounters are rare because of  their keen ability to detect vibrations using their jaws and bellies. Their forked tongues are like built-in-radars to help them aware of their surroundings. Most live underground or under rocks, come in in trees and slid around eating insects and small critters. Many lay eggs that are incubated by the sun and some carry their eggs in their bodies and give birth to fully developed young. Here's the sick stuff: to kill snakes for their skins, hunters invade their homes and nail them to trees and skin them alive before tossing them into a pile to die. They often suffer for days before succumbing to shock or dehydration. Lovely!
 Lizards are absolutely amazing and unique! Most can shed their tails to evade predators and run on four legs, twisting their bodies side to side. Some run on their back legs and EVEN run on water, what is known as Jesus Christ running, lol. Some can change colors to match their surroundings. Iguanas have a 3rd eye on top of their heads to regulate hormone production related to time basking. Some can even squirt blood from their eyes be deliberately increasing the blood pressure in their heads. Unfortunately instead of living up to 33 years in the wild, lizards are murdered for their skins, usually first clubbed on their heads or have their spines severed with chisels as soon as they are to a certain size.. great, huh?
 Lastly, lets talk about alligators and crocodiles.. the most noticeable difference between the two are their teeth. Alligators have a large fourth tooth in their lower jaw that fits inside their upper jaw when they close their mouths. With crocodiles, these teeth are visible even when their mouths are closed. Alligators can be found in rivers, reservoirs, tidal marshes, swamps, rivers, ponds, lakes, and canals. Humans, beavers, and they are one of the few species who create wetland habitat. Alligators use their snouts, forefeet, and tails to burrow holes that fill with water and can be the size of a backyard swimming pool! To survive subfreezing temperatures, they move to shallow water, stick their nostrils above the surface, and let their snouts become frozen into the ice. Mother crocodiles and alligators are very motherly. They are protective and their young normally stay with them in a "pod" for one to three years. Alligators communicate through distress yelps, bellowing, hissing, coughing, hatching sounds, and vocalizations that are not audible to humans and can travel very long distances. Alligators are often kept in filthy, crowded tanks on alligator "farms" before being clubbed and skinned alive.