Abi - 10 Centaurus
(Bull Snake)
Reptiles are an
evolutionary grade of animals, comprising today's turtles, crocodilians,
snakes, lizards and tuatara, their extinct relatives, and some of the extinct
ancestors of mammals. Due to their evolutionary history and the diversity of
extinct forms, the validity of the class is not universally supported in
scientific circles, though in practice, it remains in use by some biologists
and more laymen, especially in mass media.
Reptiles have
been around for 300 million years, even during the dinosaur age. The most
common reptiles include alligators, crocodiles, lizards, snakes, tortoises and
turtles. Reptiles are air-breathing animals, although many live not only on
land but in water. The most noticeable feature of reptiles is the scales that
cover their body. The majority of reptiles laid eggs to give birth to their
young.
Reptiles are
often called cold-blooded because they can't regulate their own body
temperature. Their body temperature depends on the external temperature. They
will lay in the sun to heat their body, or hide in the ground, under a rock or
in water to cool their body.
Although
reptiles breathe through lungs, some reptiles can also absorb oxygen in water
through membranes in their mouth.
Traits
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Reptiles are vertebrates; they
have backbones.
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Their bodies are completely
covered with scales.
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They are cold-blooded.
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Reptiles produce shelled eggs
or bear live young.
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All species fertilize eggs
internally.
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All species of reptiles have at
least one lung.
Subclass
Crocodilia : This includes crocodiles,
alligators and many related animals.
Crocodiles and
alligators are large reptiles that spend much of their time on land and in
water. They can walk on land using their webbed feet. They can also use their
long tail to swim in water. Crocodiles feed on large animals they catch on land
or in water. They have powerful jaws and teeth to tear apart their prey.
Lizards and snakes are the largest group of reptiles.
Squamata : This includes lizards and snakes.
Lizards are four
legged animals with a long tail. Many lizards can shed their tail to escape
from predators. They can then grow a new tail. Some lizards, such as the
chameleon, can change colors to blend into their environment. This camouflage
helps to protect them from predators.
Snakes don't have
limbs. They move by slithering along the ground. Some snakes are poisonous, or
venomous, such as the rattle snake, cobra, and eastern green mamba. They have
fangs which bite into their prey and inject poison into the victim. Most snakes
can dislocate their jaw, allowing them to swallow prey much larger than
themselves.
Anatomy
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Reptilian skin is covered in a
horny epidermis, making it watertight and enabling reptiles to live on dry
land, in contrast to amphibians. Compared to mammalian skin, that of reptiles
is rather thin and lacks the thick dermal layer that produces leather in
mammals. Exposed parts of reptiles are protected by scales or scutes, sometimes
with a bony base, forming armor.
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All reptiles breathe using
lungs. Aquatic turtles have developed more permeable skin, and some species
have modified their cloaca to increase the area for gas exchange. Even with
these adaptations, breathing is never fully accomplished without lungs. Lung
ventilation is accomplished differently in each main reptile group.
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In squamates, the lungs are
ventilated almost exclusively by the axial musculature. This is also the same
musculature that is used during locomotion. Because of this constraint, most
squamates are forced to hold their breath during intense runs. Some, however,
have found a way around it.
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Most reptiles are insectivorous
or carnivorous and have rather simple and comparatively short digestive tracts,
meat being fairly simple to break down and digest.
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Reptiles generally reproduce
sexually, though some are capable of asexual reproduction.
Species
American Alligators: Apex land and water predators with armor-like plating scales ranging from the neck to the tail completed with a powerful set of jaws.
Species
American Alligators: Apex land and water predators with armor-like plating scales ranging from the neck to the tail completed with a powerful set of jaws.
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