No matter the time of year, I think we could all use some bright yellow reptiles to remind us of the nice bright color of the summer sun! Included on this list are gorgeous morphs and naturally bright yellow beauties, so keep scrolling to learn more!
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Top 10 List – Yellow Reptiles
1. Leopard Gecko – Ember Morph
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You can check out their care sheet here, and some more cool morphs here!
Scientific Name: Eublepharis macularius
Geographic Range: South-Asian Afghanistan, Pakistan, North-West India, and some parts of Iran.
Lifespan: 10 – 20 Years
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Fist on our list of yellow reptiles we have the popular leopard gecko! While leopard geckos are already pretty yellow to begin with, the ember morph takes away most of the other colors and really makes that bright yellow pop! Leopard geckos make great pets for both beginners and experts in the reptile hobby. With their adorable personalities, many morphs, cheerful-looking faces, and relatively easy care (with the proper setup), it’s hard not to fall in love with these adorable critters.
If you hadn’t guessed, leopard geckos got their name due to the spotted pattern on the gecko. These nocturnal, ground-dwelling geckos are unique because unlike many geckos, they have eyelids. Since they spend their time on the ground, they have clawed feet instead of sticky toes. Naturally, leopard geckos can be found in rocky dry grassland and desert regions, and are most active during dusk. Most leopard geckos sold as pets are captive bred, meaning they were hatched in captivity instead of being taken from the wild (wild caught).
2. Yellow Eyelash Pit Viper
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Scientific Name: Bothriechis schlegelii
Geographic Range: Southern Mexico through Central America to Colombia, Ecuador, and Western Venezuela.
Lifespan: 16+ Years
Conservation Status: Not Evaluated
Eyelash pit vipers are venomous snakes that spend their days in humid, tropical, dense forests, usually near a source of water. They are arboreal and nocturnal, coming out at night to find their next meal – usually consisting of rodents (like mouse opossum and bats), frogs, lizards, and small birds. Their triangular heads are home to sharp fangs and heat sensing pits, as well as enlarged scales over their eyes that look like eyelashes – hence the name eyelash pit viper! They come in various colours such as green, grey, brown, red, and of course the gorgeously stunning yellow pictured above! Not going to lie, the yellow is definitely my favourite of this snakes colours, it’s just so bright and cheerful!
3. Yellow Geyri Uromastyx
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Scientific Name: Uromastyx geyri
Geographic Range: Parts of Algeria, Mali, and Niger.
Lifespan: 20 – 25 Years
Conservation Status: Near Threatened on the IUCN Mediterranean Red List
While not as popular as leopard geckos, this next yellow reptile is still a beloved pet in the pet trade. Geyri uromastyx come in two colours – red and yellow. Obviously we have the gorgeous yellow variety pictured above! These smaller lizards have a triangular shape head, thick chunky body, and a short spiny tail. Speaking of their tails – their scientific name uromastyx was created from the Ancient Greek words ourá (tail) and mastiga (whip), which refers to their thick spiny tails. While adults are completely herbivorous, hatchling uromastyx have been known to take insects in captivity. If you want to spot one of these critters in the wild, they hang out on rocky outcrops in semi-desert areas.
4. Yellow Body Blue Bar Ambilobe Panther Chameleon
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Scientific Name: Furcifer pardalis
Geographic Range: Eastern and Northern Parts of Madagascar
Lifespan: Males: 5 – 7 Years
Females: 4 – 6 Years (Less if Breeding)
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Another popular pet on this list, we have the unique looking panther chameleon! These territorial lizards spend most of their time alone, living in the trees of dry deciduous forests, and feeding on insects that happen to walk by. They are sexually dimorphic, meaning males look different than the females. The females tend to be on the smaller size, and are usually a uniformly pale green or pink colour. However, the males are larger and have a wide range of colours and patterns, which depend on area where the chameleon was originally from. An example of one of the color/pattern combinations is the yellow body blue bar ambilobe panther chameleon pictured above (try saying that 10 times in a row!)
5. Galapagos Land Iguana
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Learn More About Them Here
Scientific Name: Conolophus subcristatus
Geographic Range: Ecuador (Galápagos)
Lifespan: Up to 60 years
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Unlike the last reptile on our list, the bright yellow Galapagos land iguana is not a pet! They can grow between 3 – 5 feet in length, and as their name suggests, they are only found in the Galapagos islands. These silly looking reptiles are mainly herbivores – feeding on fruit, flowers, and prickly pears. Sometimes they have been known to breed with the marine iguanas on the island, creating a hybrid iguana when the eggs hatch! Another cool fact about these guys is that they have a symbiotic relationship with the birds of the island, and can sometimes be seen with the birds perched on their back.
6. Yellow Tree Monitors
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Scientific Name: Varanus reisingeri
Geographic Range: Island of Misool in West Papua, Indonesia
Lifespan: 15+ Years
Conservation Status: Data Deficient
While rare, these bright yellow tree monitors can occasionally be found in the pet trade. Their natural habitat is in forests, where, as their name suggests, they spend most of their time in the trees. They have long claws and long prehensile tails designed to help them navigate the treetops. Their scientific name reisingeri was given to them in honor of Manfred Reisinger, who helped identify the new species.
7. Yellow Striped Tree Skink
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Scientific Name: Lipinia vittigera
Geographic Range: Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore and Cambodia.
Lifespan: N/A
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Not much is known about this little skink, as they are quite shy. What we do know is they inhabit tree trunks in forests, as well as lay eggs like many reptiles. They have a slender, black and yellow striped body, as well as a bright yellow-orange tail. They most likely eat small insects they find. Despite not knowing much about them, we still think they are interesting little yellow reptiles that deserve a spot!
8. Yellow-Bellied Slider – Albino
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Scientific Name:Trachemys scripta scripta
Geographic Range: Southeastern United States
Lifespan: Up to 40 Years
Conservation Status: Least Concern
Yellow Bellied Sliders are high up on the list of popular pet turtles. While they naturally have yellow markings and a yellow belly that gives them their name, the albino coloration turns the turtle into various shades of yellow all over. In the wild they can be found in many types of water, including slow moving rivers, floodplain swamps, marshes, seasonal wetlands, and permanent ponds. When they are hatchlings they are omnivores, but as they mature into adults, most of their diet consists of various plants.
9. Ball Python – Albino Enchi
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See more morphs here and here, and learn how to care for them here!
Scientific Name: Python regius
Geographic Range: Senegal to Togo in West Africa and Eastward to the Nile River in Southern Sudan.
Lifespan: 30+ Years
Conservation Status: Least Concern
One of the most popular snakes in the snakes in the pet trade, ball pythons (also called royal pythons) have hundreds of morphs, with more being worked on all the time. In the wild they can be found in grasslands, open forest, and shrubland. Females lay eggs, and are usually larger than the males. They are constrictors, constricting their prey of small rodents, shrews, and birds. The name ball python comes from their tendency to curl up into a ball and hide their heads when scared or startled. The albino enchi morph makes this beautiful snake worthy of our yellow reptiles list!
10. Roatan Vinesnake
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Scientific Name: Oxybelis wilsoni
Geographic Range: Honduras (Isla de Roatan)
Lifespan: Unkown
Conservation Status: Not Listed
And last but not least on our list of yellow reptiles is the gorgeous Roatan vine snake. Instead of the usual greens of most vine snakes, Roatan vine snakes are a gorgeous tan to golden yellow color. They have a long slender body, as well as the usual slender face and pointed nose that vine snakes have. Not much is known about this snake, but hopefully, more will be learned in the future!
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