Reptiles!!!The Scaly Clan

Class Reptilia7000 species “Turtles, crocodilians, snakes & lizards Tough, dry skin covered with scales composed of keratin to protect against drying out and injuries.

Class ReptiliaThe skin must be shed periodically to allow for the animal to grow.

Reptile lungs are better developed than amphibians and responsible for almost all gas exchanges.

Amniotic EggInternal fertilization since the shelled eggs must be fertilized before they are enclosed.

A shelled egg contains food and protective membranes to support embryonic development.Reptiles lay eggs on land, which hatch into lung breathing juveniles.The egg has broken the amphibian link to the water more than any other adaptation.

Order Testudines “Turtles”

Shells consisting of the dorsal carapace and the ventral plastron are made of an outer keratin layer and an inner layer of bone.

Turtles have sharp plates covering the jaws instead of teeth.

Turtles have poor hearing, but a good sense of smell, acute vision, and color perception.

Snapping Turtle Mouth

Order Testudines “Turtles”Marine turtles have paired limbs modified into flippers and can grow to 2 meters in length weighing 700 pounds.

Giant land tortoises can weigh hundreds of kilograms and their low metabolic rate produces life spans exceeding 150 years.

Box turtles have a hinged plastron that allows full protection of their body.

Snapping turtles have reduced shells that don’t enclose the whole body, but the fierce jaws are a good defense.

Giant Land Tortoise

Giant Land Tortoise Foot

Box Turtle

Snapping Turtle

Snapping Turtle Mouth

Videoshttp://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/reptiles-kids/turtle-loggerhead-kids/http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/river-monsters/videos/turtle-strikes-like-a-snake.htm

Order Squamata “Lizards & snakes”

This order is the largest, representing 95% of the living reptiles.

Joints in the palate and across the roof of the mouth allow squamates to seize and manipulate prey.

Viviparity or live births are limited to squamates and normally associated with colder climates.

Snake Mouth

Snake Mouth

Lizards are a diverse group of terrestrial, burrowing, aquatic, and arboreal species.

Lizards have movable eyelids whereas snakes have transparent coverings.Iguanas represent a group of herbivorous new world lizards.Chameleons are arboreal lizards of Africa with extendable tongues for catching their prey.The American Gila monster and Beaded lizard are the only venomous lizards.Monitor lizards are large carnivorous lizards including largest lizard the Komodo dragon.

Iguana

Chameleon

Chameleon

American Gila

Beaded Lizard

Komodo Dragon

Komodo

Snakes are a group of limbless squamates.

Snakes are deaf to most aerial sounds since they lack external ears like lizards.Jacobson’s organs are the paired pits in the roof of the mouth used for smell.Pit vipers, such as rattlesnakes, have hematoxic (attack tissue) venom for killing prey located through heat sensitive pits.

Rattlesnake

Snakes continued…Coral snakes are members of the cobra family that feature neurotoxic (attack nervous system) venom.Non-venomous snakes kill prey by constriction or biting & swallowing prey.

Coral Snake

Videoshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QK9Xj7eY0UUhttp://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/reptiles-animals/snakes/http://animal.discovery.com/video-topics/wild-animals/reptile-videos/incredible-snake-videos.htm

Order Crocodilia “Crocodiles, alligators, & caimans”

Crocodilians are divided into the new world caiman and alligator, and the more widely distributed crocodiles.

Four chambered heart found in birds and mammals.

The gavial is a fish-eating specialist from India.

The Salt-water & Nile crocodiles can reach lengths 22 feet making them the largest reptiles.

Caiman

Gavial

Gavial

Salt Water Croc

Nile Crocodile

Videoshttp://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/reptiles-animals/alligators-crocodiles/croc_american/http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/reptiles-kids/alligator-hatchlings-kids/