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 Reptiles and Amphibians
Amphibians, like frogs and toads, occur primarily in the tropical
zone and the warmer, lower temperate forest belts, although some
live in hot springs at incredibly high altitudes. Hard to spot but
definitely in existence in Bhutan are the Himalayan rock lizard;
the Agama (males have orange heads with bright blue throats); the
long legged Japalura lizard of brushy slopes; and the skink species,
which holds the record for being the highest lizard in the world
(found at 18,000 feet). In the humid lowlands, one can find snakes.
Typical snakes include the rat snakes and racers, which are fast
moving with large eyes, slender necks and broad heads; water snakes;
and the mountain pit vipers, which are uniformly dark with triangular
heads. Most of the snakes are non- poisonous.
The cobra is occasionally encountered at lower altitudes. The only
other venomous species are pit vipers, which are rare and not often
seen. Reptiles and amphibians have not been extensively studied
in Bhutan, and it is likely that many species thrive there.
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