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Red-eyed crocodile skink
Look at the rough rows of dark scales and the orange-red ring around the eye on adults. The small head and armored-looking back are easier to compare in profile than face-on. This New Guinea skink looks more imposing in close-up than its size suggests.
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Tuatara
A row of pointed scales follows the tuatara’s back and neck. Combine that ridge with its broad head and you have the familiar silhouette of a small prehistoric reptile. It is the living representative of the rhynchocephalian line, separate from modern lizards and dinosaurs.
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Alligator snapping turtle
The rough skull, hooked jaws and ridged shell can make this river turtle look prehistoric. An overhead view shows the three raised ridges along the shell. The shell itself makes the animal especially easy to recognize when only part of it is visible.
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Australian brushturkey
The bare head and heavy legs stand out when a brushturkey rakes leaf litter into a mound. The movement gives a better view of its feet than a head-on photo. Its broad tail and ground-foraging body offer a less dramatic example of the living bird body plan.
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Amazon mata mata
The Amazon mata mata carries raised knobs on the shell and ragged fringes along its neck. Its flat, triangular head almost disappears against a stream floor. Compare the silhouette with armored reptiles, then look more closely at a turtle with a body built for camouflage.
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Perentie
This large Australian monitor lifts its head and shoulders well above the ground as it walks. Its narrow head, long tail and powerful legs create a silhouette like a long-bodied prehistoric reptile. The patterned scales are especially visible on the sides.
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Rhinoceros iguana
Start with the bony-looking knobs over the short snout. They explain the common name and give the head the kind of profile people associate with horned dinosaurs. The iguana’s long tail and thick, low body still make it easy to identify as a different reptile.
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Green iguana
Long spines run from the neck toward the tail and stand out best in a side view. The flap of skin under the throat changes the outline when extended. Compare that tall fringe with a prehistoric illustration, then look for the lizard’s dexterous toes on a branch.
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Philippine sailfin lizard
The raised crest near the tail makes this lizard look larger and taller from the side. Pay attention to where the tall part begins, behind the body. Its uneven crest and laterally flattened tail make it especially distinctive as it moves through water.
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Red-legged seriema
Look at the long bare legs and lifted crest first. The seriema hunts on the ground and uses its bill to handle prey. It makes an especially interesting comparison with extinct ground-hunting birds because seriemas are related to the group that included the terror birds.
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Plumed basilisk
An adult male has high crests on the head, back, and tail. This green basilisk can sprint on its hind legs across the surface of water, its long tail stretched out behind it. The profile and the two-legged motion give you two separate comparisons with prehistoric reptiles.
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Common collared lizard
A collared lizard can rise onto its hind legs when it runs, with the long tail extended behind it. Set that position beside the horizontal posture of a small two-legged dinosaur as a comparison in movement. In a still image, look for the paired dark markings at the neck.
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Marabou stork
A high stance, powerful bill and nearly bare head make a marabou conspicuous before it takes a step. The balance shifts when it lowers its head, revealing a long neck folded down over a bulky body. That deliberate movement is much of the dinosaur effect.
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Central bearded dragon
A row of small spines follows the edge of its body and throat. The lizard can puff the throat so that the spines become much more obvious. Look at a profile where the body and the underside of the head are both visible.
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