The reptiles They are cold-blooded vertebrate animals that crawl or drag their bodies along the ground. For instance: the snake, the alligator, the lizard, the turtle.
They are mostly carnivorous animals that are characterized by their resistant skin covered with scales that has different shapes, colors and sizes. Most reptiles live on land and have also adapted to life in water. They are ectothermic organisms, since they are not capable of generating their own internal heat.
Reptiles have very short legs in proportion to their body, although there are reptiles like the snake, which lack legs so they drag their bodies to move.
Characteristics of reptiles
- They are cold-blooded animals, which distinguishes them from mammals.
- They are ectothermic. They are exposed to the sun when they need to raise their temperature; and they take refuge in burrows, in the water or in the shade when they need to cool down.
- They are very primitive animals, it is believed that they arose during the Mesozoic era.
- They have a respiratory system with lungs.
- They reproduce sexually through internal fertilization.
- They are oviparous animals, they reproduce by laying eggs.
- They communicate through sounds by the vibrations they receive from the ground.
- They are solitary animals, they do not usually move in groups.
- Most are predators, as they hunt for their own food.
- Most are carnivores, such as boas and crocodiles, but there are some herbivorous species such as the turtle.
- Most reptile species have become extinct, including dinosaurs.
- There are several endangered species such as the desperate leaf chameleon, the Colombian dwarf lizard and the spider tortoise.
Examples of reptiles
| Aligátore | Satanic Leaf Tail Lizard |
| Anaconda | Lizard Tizon |
| Green basilisk | Varano lizard |
| Boa constrictor | Green lizard |
| Alligator | Flying lizard |
| Snake | Lution |
| Cobra | Gila monster |
| Crocodile | Black mamba |
| Iranian crocodile | Piton |
| Nile crocodile | Burmese python |
| Marine crocodile | Garter snake |
| Blind shingles | Copperhead snake |
| Komodo dragon | Rattlesnake |
| Iberian skink | Stupid turtle |
| European pond turtle | Sea turtle |
| Tokay gecko | Black tortoise |
| Rhinoceros iguana | Sulcata tortoise |
| green Iguana | Tuátara |
| Lizard | Cantabrian viper |
| Atlantic lizard | Snout viper |
| Kingy lizard | Yacaré |
| Ocellated lizard | Yacaré overo |
Examples of extinct reptiles
| Adocus | Hesperosuchus |
| Afairiguana | Homoeosaurus |
| Aigialosaurus | Delcourt Gecko |
| Aphanizocnemus | Hoyasemys |
| Arambourgiania | Huehuecuetzpalli |
| Arcanosaurus ibericus | Hupehsuchus |
| Athabascasaurus | Hylonomus |
| Azhdarchidae | Lapitiguana impensa |
| Barbatteius | Leptonectidae |
| Barbaturex | Mosasauroidea |
| Borikenophis sanctaecrucis | Navajodactylus |
| Bothremydidae | Neptunidraco |
| Brasiliguana | Obamadon |
| Carbonemys | Odontochelys |
| Cartorhynchus lenticarpus | Palaeosaniwa |
| Cedarbaena | Proganochelys |
| Chianghsia | Proterosuchus |
| Elginia | Puentemys |
| Euclastes | Sebecia |
| Tenerife land tortoise | Atlas tortoise |
| Giant tortoise of Gran Canaria | Titanoboa |