CLASS: REPTILIA

CLASS: REPTILIA

• A reptile is any amniote that is neither a mammal nor a bird.
• Amniote-a tetrapod whose egg has an additional membrane
• Tetrapods-amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals
• Kingdom Animalia
• Phylum Chordata

SUBGROUPS OF REPTILIA

• Testudines (turtles, terrapins and tortoises):
• approximately 400 species
• Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)

SUBGROUPS OF REPTILIA

• Sphenodontia (tuatara from New Zealand)
• 2 species
• tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus)

SUBGROUPS OF REPTILIA

• Squamata (lizards, snakes, and worm lizards)
• over 9,600 species
• Sinai agama (Pseudotrapelus sinaitus)

SUBGROUPS OF REPTILIA

• Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans, and alligators)
• 25 species
• Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus)

REPTILIA

• Reptiles are tetrapods vertebrates
• Either with 4 limbs or
• Descending from 4 limb ancestors

REPTILIA

• Most reptiles are oviparous(egg laying)
• But some Squamates are viviparous

REPTILIA EGGS

• reptile eggs are surrounded by membranes
• Membrane provides protection and transportation

REPTILE SIZE

• reptiles range in size from a tiny gecko
• which can grow up to 17 mm
• to the saltwater crocodile
• which may reach 6 m (19ft)
• The leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius)

DEFENSE MECHANISM

• At the first sign of danger
• most snakes and lizards crawl away into the undergrowth
• turtles and crocodiles will plunge into water
• To get out of sight

DEFENSE MECHANISM

• Reptiles tend to avoid confrontation through camouflage
• If the danger arises so suddenly that flight is useless
• then crocodiles, turtles, some lizards, and some snakes hiss loudly

SHEDDING

• When a lizard gets attacked at the tail
• The lizard will shed its tail in order to escape

SHEDDING

• The tail will continue to wiggle like the lizard is still there
• So the predator will be distracted and the lizard can escape
• The lizard will regenerate its tail over the weeks