The Oddball Species Atlas

Meet Australia’s remarkable reptiles & frogs.

32 native species — from the secretive Oenpelli python to the punk-haired Mary River turtle. Real natural history, their place in Australian culture, and honest notes on which ones belong in a home and which belong in the wild.

Explore the atlas Which one suits me? →Care guides →

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Experience

Plan for

Specialist keepersExpert onlyOenpelli pythonSimalia oenpelliensisBig enclosure20+ years

Specialist keepersExperienced keepersOlive pythonLiasis olivaceusBig enclosure20+ years

Specialist keepersBeginner with homeworkWoma pythonAspidites ramsayi20+ years

Specialist keepersIntermediateBlack-headed pythonAspidites melanocephalusBig enclosure20+ years

Commonly keptGreat for beginnersChildren's pythonAntaresia childreni20+ years

Commonly keptBeginner with homeworkCarpet pythonMorelia spilotaBig enclosure20+ years

Specialist keepersExperienced keepersGreen tree pythonMorelia viridis

Specialist keepersExpert onlyScrub pythonSimalia kinghorniBig enclosure20+ years

Specialist keepersExperienced keepersFrilled-neck lizardChlamydosaurus kingiiBig enclosure

Not a petThorny devilMoloch horridus

Commonly keptGreat for beginnersCentral bearded dragonPogona vitticeps

Commonly keptIntermediateEastern water dragonIntellagama lesueuriiBig enclosure

Specialist keepersExperienced keepersBoyd's forest dragonLophosaurus boydii

Specialist keepersExpert onlyPerentieVaranus giganteusBig enclosure20+ years

Specialist keepersExpert onlyLace monitorVaranus variusBig enclosure20+ years

Commonly keptIntermediateRidge-tailed monitorVaranus acanthurus

Commonly keptGreat for beginnersEastern blue-tongueTiliqua scincoides scincoides20+ years

Commonly keptBeginner with homeworkShinglebackTiliqua rugosa20+ years

Not a petPygmy blue-tongue lizardTiliqua adelaidensis

Commonly keptBeginner with homeworkCunningham's skinkEgernia cunninghami

Specialist keepersIntermediateLand mulletBellatorias majorBig enclosure

Commonly keptGreat for beginnersThick-tailed geckoUnderwoodisaurus milii

Specialist keepersIntermediateSmooth knob-tailed geckoNephrurus levis

Painting of a Southern leaf-tailed gecko

Specialist keepersIntermediateSouthern leaf-tailed geckoPhyllurus platurus

Specialist keepersExperienced keepersMary River turtleElusor macrurusBig enclosure20+ years

Specialist keepersExpert onlyPig-nosed turtleCarettochelys insculptaBig enclosure20+ years

Painting of a Eastern long-necked turtle

Commonly keptBeginner with homeworkEastern long-necked turtleChelodina longicollisBig enclosure20+ years

Not a petSaltwater crocodileCrocodylus porosus

Specialist keepersExpert onlyFreshwater crocodileCrocodylus johnstoniBig enclosure20+ years

Painting of a Australian green tree frog

Commonly keptGreat for beginnersAustralian green tree frogRanoidea caerulea

Not a petSouthern corroboree frogPseudophryne corroboree

Specialist keepersIntermediateWater-holding frogRanoidea platycephala

Commonly keptSpecialist keepersNot a pet Licences and allowed species vary by state — always check your state wildlife authority.

Choosing your next reptile or frog

Every species we cover that can be kept, from the easiest first, with how long it lives and the enclosure an adult needs. Each profile has a full keeper’s guide: what to know before you buy, setup, feeding, advanced tips and the licence rules.

Plan a big enclosure from day one Usually lives 20 years or more

Species	Adult size	Lifespan	Adult enclosure	Set-up budget	Temperament
Great for beginners Hardy and forgiving. A good choice for a first licence.
Australian green tree frog	Up to about 10–11 cm body length	15–20 years	Small · 45 × 45 × 60 cm high	Modest	Calm, hardy and very food-motivated
Central bearded dragon	Up to about 55-60 cm long including the tail	10–15 years	Medium · 1.2 × 0.6 × 0.6 m	Moderate	Calm, curious and tolerant of handling
Children's python	Usually under about 1 m	20–30 years	Small · 90 × 45 × 45 cm	Modest	Gentle, small and forgiving
Eastern blue-tongue	Up to about 60 cm total length	20+ years	Medium · 1.2 × 0.6 × 0.45 m	Moderate	Calm, sturdy and usually happy to be handled
Thick-tailed gecko	Up to about 10 cm head and body	10–15 years	Small · 60 × 45 × 30 cm	Modest	Gentle, slow-moving and easy
Beginner with homework Suits a first-time keeper who does the reading and gets the setup right before the animal arrives.
Carpet python	Usually about 2 to 3 m	20–30 years	Large · 1.5–1.8 × 0.6 × 0.9–1.2 m	Significant	Varies with subspecies; most settle into handleable adults
Cunningham's skink	Up to about 25 cm head and body	15–25 years	Medium · 1.2 × 0.6 × 0.6 m	Moderate	Shy at first; settles well in a group
Eastern long-necked turtle	Shell up to about 25–28 cm	30–50 years	Large · 300–400 L tank or a pond	Significant	Shy at first; becomes confident at feeding time
Shingleback	Up to about 41 cm total length	20+ years	Medium · 1.2 × 0.6 m	Moderate	Placid and slow; tolerates handling well
Woma python	Usually about 1.5 m	20–30 years	Medium · 1.2–1.5 × 0.6 m	Moderate	Typically very calm, but a powerful and greedy feeder
Intermediate Best after you have kept an easier species for a year or two.
Black-headed python	Usually about 1.5 to 2 m	20–30 years	Large · 1.5–1.8 × 0.6 × 0.6 m	Significant	Usually calm, but a confident and strong feeder
Eastern water dragon	Males slightly over 1 m long	15–25 years	Large · 1.8 × 0.9 × 1.2 m	Significant	Bold once settled but can be skittish and fast
Land mullet	Up to about 50–60 cm total length	15–20 years	Large · 1.5 × 0.6 × 0.6 m	Significant	Shy at first, can become bold with time
Ridge-tailed monitor	Up to about 70 cm long	10–15 years	Medium · 1.2–1.5 × 0.6 × 0.6–0.9 m	Moderate	Bold, busy and curious
Smooth knob-tailed gecko	About 8–10 cm head and body	10–15 years	Small · 60 × 45 cm	Modest	Bold for its size; often tolerates gentle handling
Southern leaf-tailed gecko	Up to about 15 cm total length (about 9.5 cm head and body)	10–15 years	Small · 45 × 45 × 60 cm high	Moderate	Calm but easily stressed; a display gecko
Water-holding frog	Up to about 6.5–7.5 cm	10+ years	Small · 60 × 45 cm, deep soil	Modest	Mostly hidden; a burrowing frog with a big appetite when it is up
Experienced keepers Needs a big enclosure, careful husbandry or confident handling. Not a first reptile.
Boyd's forest dragon	Up to about 50 cm long including the tail	10–15 years	Medium · 0.9–1.2 × 0.6 × 1.2 m high	Significant	Calm and slow-moving, but sensitive to heat
Frilled-neck lizard	Up to about 90 cm long including the tail	10–20 years	Large · 1.2 × 0.6 × 1.2–1.5 m high	Significant	Alert and flighty; most tolerate handling but prefer not to
Green tree python	Usually 1.5 to 1.8 m	15–20 years	Medium · 90 × 60 × 90 cm high	Significant	Often defensive and nervous; best as a display snake
Mary River turtle	Shell up to about 34 cm in females and about 42 cm in males, with some males reported over 50 cm	40+ years	Very large · Pond or 600–1,000 L+ tank	Major	Shy and peaceful; spends most of its time underwater
Olive python	Commonly 3 to 4 m	20–30 years	Very large · 2.4 × 0.9 × 0.9 m	Major	Often calm and curious, with a very strong feeding response
Expert only Specialist husbandry, size or temperament. Most keepers should not take one on.
Freshwater crocodile	Males usually up to about 3 m	50+ years	Very large · Fenced pond with land area	Major	Nervous and fast; bites readily when cornered
Lace monitor	Up to about 2 m long and 14 kg	20–30 years	Very large · 3 × 1.5 × 2 m, ideally outdoors	Major	Bold and clever; many remain wary of handling as adults
Oenpelli python	Commonly over 4 m	25+ years	Very large · 2.4 × 1 × 1.5–2 m	Major	Usually calm, but a very large and strong snake
Perentie	Over 2.5 m long and up to about 20 kg	20+ years	Very large · 3–4 × 2 m, ideally outdoors	Major	Intelligent and powerful; tame individuals exist but adults are dangerous if mishandled
Pig-nosed turtle	Shell up to about 70 cm, weighing over 20 kg (up to about 30 kg)	30+ years	Very large · Several thousand litres	Major	Shy and easily stressed; fully aquatic and can bite tank mates
Scrub python	Commonly 3 to 5 m	20–30 years	Very large · 2.4–3 × 1 × 1.5 m+	Major	Many are nervous and quick to bite; big adults are powerful

Lifespans are typical captive figures; enclosure sizes are minimums for one adult (length × depth × height). Budgets are relative tiers for the enclosure and equipment, not the animal. Licence classes differ between states and change from time to time, so always check your state’s current species list before you buy.