REPTILES

REPTILES
o Reptileis the common name for one of the
main groups of landvertebrates. It is not
used so much by biologists, who use more
accurate terms.
o Reptile are animals that exhibit more
adaptations for living on land. They lay eggs
with shells to protect them from dying. They
also have smooth or rough scales for protection
from loss of body water.

o The name "reptile" comes fromLatin

and means "one who creeps". All
living reptile species arecold blooded,
have scalyskin, and lay cleidoic eggs
.They excrete uric acid (instead of
urea), and have acloaca. A cloaca is
a shared opening for theanus,
urinary tract and reproductive ducts.
Reptiles also share an arrangement of
theheartand major blood vessels
which is different from that of
mammals.

o Many important groups of reptiles are

nowextinct. The great marine reptiles of
theMesozoicera, theichthyosaurs,
plesiosaursand mosasaurs, are extinct.
We used to say thedinosaurswere
extinct, but they survive in the form of
their feathered descendents (birds).
Ancient reptiles that do survive include
theturtles, thecrocodilesand theTuatara
, the lone survivor of its group. The great
majority of present-day reptiles are
snakesandlizards.
The study of living reptiles is
calledherpetology.

LIZARDS

LIZARDS
o Lizardsarereptiles. Together with
snakes, they make up theorder
Squamata. There are about 6,000
species,[1]which live all over the world,
except in coldclimates. They range
across all continents exceptAntarctica,
as well as most oceanicislandchains.[2]
One type, themarine iguana, lives in
thesea. Size varies greatly, ranging
from 5 inches to theKomodo dragon's 9

o Some kinds of lizard are:

Basilisk
Gecko
Iguana
Monitor lizard
Frill-necked Lizard
Draco, flying lizard
Slow-worm: a lizard without legs.

B
a
si
li
s
k
Basilisksare a type oflizard.
They are about 70-75 cm
long, when fully grown, and
weigh about 80 grams. They
can be found in
South America. Currently,
there are four different
species. They can be very
still and hard to see.
The basilisk lizard can walk
on water. It runs across the
surface of a pond or pool,
without sinking. Its speed
keeps it from sinking. At the
same time, its long tail helps

G
E
C
K
O
Geckosare small to middle size
lizards. Lizards arereptiles. There
are 1196 different kinds of geckos.
They live in many warm countries.
Some kinds of geckos go into
people'shouses. People are often
happy to have them, because
geckos eat many insects. Unlike
most lizards, geckos have voices.
A gecko sounds a little like a bird
or a frog. Many kinds of geckos
can walk on walls, windows and
ceilings. They can do this because
they have special toe pads. A
microscopecan show that each
toe pad is made of thousands of
hair-like structures. Each of these
structures branches into many
smaller ends.[1]
Geckos' feet form a molecular
bond with the substance that they

I
G
U
A
N
A
Iguanais a type oflizardthat
lives intropicalareas ofCentral
andSouth Americaand the
Caribbean. There are only two
speciesof Iguana: the
Green Iguanaand the
Lesser Antillean Iguana. Iguanas
have excellent vision and can see
long distances, shapes, shadows,
color and movement. An iguana
uses its eyes to navigate through
trees and forests, as well as for
finding food. They also use their
eyes to communicate with
members of the same species.
An iguana's ear is called a
tympanum. It is the iguana's ear
drum and is found right above
the subtympanic shield and
behind the eye. This is a very

M
O
NI
T
O
R
LI
Z
A
R
D
Monitor lizards have long necks,
powerfultailsand claws, and welldeveloped limbs. The adult length
of extant species ranges from
20cm (7.9in) in some species, to
over 3m (10ft) in the case of the
Komodo dragon, though the
extinctvaranidknown as
megalania(Varanus priscus) may
have been capable of reaching
lengths of as much as 7m (23ft).
Most monitor species are
terrestrial, butarborealand
semiaquatic monitors are also
known. While most monitor lizards
arecarnivorous, eating eggs,
smaller reptiles, fish, birds and
small mammals, some also eat

Fri
lle
d
N
ec
k
Li
za
rd
Thefrilled-neck lizard[1]
(Chlamydosaurus kingii), also
known as thefrilled
lizardorfrilled dragon, is a
speciesoflizard, which is found
mainly in northernAustraliaand
southernNew Guinea. This species
is theonly memberof thegenus
Chlamydosaurus. Its common
name comes from the largefrill
around its neck, which usually
stays folded against the lizard's
body.C. kingiiis largelyarboreal,
spending the majority of the time
in the trees. The lizard's diet
consists mainly ofinsectsand
smallvertebrates. The frill-necked
lizard is a relatively large lizard,

D
R
A
C
O
Dracois agenusofagamidlizards
that also are known as "flying
dragons" (particularly the species
draco volans). The ribs and their
connecting membrane may be
extended to create a wing, the
hindlimbs are flattened and winglike in cross-section, and a small
set of flaps on the neck serve as a
horizontal stabilizers.Dracoare
arborealinsectivores. While not
capable of powered flight they
often obtain lift in the course of
their gliding flights. Glides as long
as 60m (200ft) have been
recorded, over which the animal
loses only 10m (33ft) in height,
which is quite some distance,
considering that one of these
lizards is only around 20cm

Anguis
fragilis(t
heslowworm, or
blind
worm)
is a lizard which is limbless
(meaning it has no legs or arms). It
has a wide distribution inEurope
andAsia, and is one of the few
reptiles native toBritain. When a
slow-worm is indangerit can shed
(break off) itstailand escape. It
can then grow back a new, shorter
tail, which it cannot shed. Instead
of laying eggs, the females give
birth to live young (viviparous
birth). In the days leading up to
birth the female can often be seen
basking in the sun on a warm road.
Slow-worms are often called
snakes, but they are not. Slowworms can blink, but snakes
cannot. They shed their skin in
patches like other lizards, rather

SNAKES

o Snakesarereptiles. They are part of theorder

Squamata. They don't havelegs,voice,ears, and
eyelids. Despite this, snakes are successfulcarnivores,
with at least 20families,and about 500generaand
3,400species. They have a long, slender body,[3]and are
very mobile in their own way. Most of them live in the
tropics. Very few snake species live beyond the
Tropic of CancerorTropic of Capricorn, and only one
species, the common viper (Vipera berus) lives beyond the
Arctic Circle. Their skin is covered withscales.[3]They can
see well enough, and they can taste scents with their
tongues by flicking them in and out. They are very sensitive
to vibrations in the ground.
Though they do not have a voice, they canhiss. Most live on
the ground, others live in the water, and a few live under
thesoil. Like all reptiles, snakes need the heat of thesunto
control their body temperature. That is why most snakes are
in the warm,humidtropicalregions of the world.

C
O
B
R
A
Easily identified by the
intimidating hoods that extend
on both sides of their heads,
various cobra species inhabit
the Philippines. The king
cobra, the world's largest
venomous snake, reaching a
maximum length of 16 feet
here. Three species of spitting
cobras are native to the
Philippines: the Northern
Philippine cobra, the
Southeastern Philippine cobra
and the equatorial spitting
cobra. In addition to inflicting
deadly bites, these cobras
have the ability to spit a

PI
T
VI
PE
R
S
These brightly colored
snakes dwell in trees
throughout the Philippines.
Waglers, Philippine, Polillo,
and Bataan are all different
species of lance-headed pit
vipers that inhabit the
archipelago. A unique
feature of lance-headed pit
vipers is that they give live
birth to their young instead
of laying eggs. Pit viper
venom attacks red blood
cells instead of the nervous
system like other snake
venom.

CO
RA
L
SN
AK
E
Several species of coral
snakes are found in the
Philippines, including the
Palawan long-glanded coral
snake and the Luzon coral
snake. Coral snakes are
identifiable by their
marking, which consist of
multicolor bands or stripes.
Primary nocturnal, coral
snakes of the Philippines
avoid dry areas and
populate scrub jungles and
monsoon forests. Coral
snakes avoid human

SE
A
S
N
A
K
E
Many species of sea snakes, or
kraits, inhabit the Philippine
islands. Sea snakes must surface
to breathe air,, but some can
remain underwater for up to
eight hours. Most live their
entire lives in the water. They
dwell among mangroves, rivers,
lakes and streams; and a few
can be found in the open ocean.
Some species found in the
Philippines include the yellowlipped sea wraith, which is
capable of producing up to 10
times the lethal dose of venom
required to kill. The rare Lake
Taal snake resides only in the
volcanic lake for which the

M
A
M
B
A
S
Mambasare fast-moving,
terrestrial,
venomous snakesof the
genus
Dendroaspis(literally
"tree asp") in the family
Elapidae. There are four
extant species. Native to
Africa, they are feared
throughout their ranges,
especially the black
mamba. InAfrica, there
are many legends and
stories describing these
snakes.

o Some snakes species are poisonous

including cobra and the rattle
snake. Snakes however, avoid
people and do not attack unless
provoked or hurt.

CROCODILES AND
ALLIGATORS

o Acrocodileis a large amphibiousreptile. It lives mostly in

large tropical rivers, where it is anambush predator. One
species, theAustraliansaltie, also travels in coastal salt
water. In very dry climates, crocodiles mayaestivateand
sleep out the dry season.[1]
The modern type of crocodile appeared first in theEocene
period, but its ancestors go much further back, to the
Upper Triassic. The name "Crocodile" is also used for any
member of the orderCrocodilia. They are basically
Archosaurs, a group which also includes thedinosaurs. There
are many species of Crocodiles including the American,
slender-snouted and Orinoco crocodile.
The crocodile can snap its jaw shut quickly and with much
power. But crocodiles have very little strength opening their
jaws and a person could hold the jaw shut with their hands.
Crocodiles range in size from African Dwarf crocodiles that
measure rarely over 5 feet to saltwater crocodiles which can

WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE
BETWEEN
CROCODILES AND
ALLIGATORS?

Shape of the jaw:The easiest way of telling apart crocodiles

from alligators, however, is to look at their noses. Alligators (and
caimans) have a wide "U"-shaped, rounded snout (like a shovel),
whereas crocodiles tend to have longer and more pointed "V"shaped noses. This is illustrated in the diagram to the left (C =
alligator, D = crocodile). The broad snout of alligators is designed
for strength, capable of withstanding the stress caused to bone
when massive force is applied to crack open turtles and hardshelled invertebrates which form part of their diet. Of course,
alligators eat softer prey too, but hard-shelled prey are ubiquitous
in their environment and it's a big advantage to be able to eat
them. Conversely, the pointed snout of a crocodile isn't quite as
strong as the alligatorine shape, but the crocodile is still capable
of exerting massive biting power. Crocodile jaws can be thought of
as being more generalised - ideal for a wide variety of prey. The
full extent of the way jaw shape influences diet isn't particularly
well studied in crocodilians, but it's obvious that a very thin nose
like a gharial's is much better at dealing with a fish than a turtle!
There are 23 species of crocodilians, though, and this simple

o They are both predators of fish, deers,

small cows or carabaos, and even attack
humans. Alligators live in freshwater and
are only found in North and South
America. Crocodiles live in fresh and salty
waters in tropical and subtropical regions,
in the Philippines, two species are present,
the Crocodylus mindorensis (Philippine
crocodile) and the saltwater Crocodylus
porosus. The Philippine crocodile is
considered a critically endangered
crocodile species in the world.

TURTLES and
TORTOISES

o Turtlesare thereptileorderTestudines. They

have a specialbonyorcartilaginousshell
developed from theirribsthat acts as ashield.
[1]

The order Testudines includes both living and

extinctspecies. The earliestfossilturtles date
from about 220millionyears ago.[2]So turtles
are one of the oldest surviving reptile groups
and a more ancient group thanlizards,snakes
andcrocodiles.
Turtle have been very successful, and have an
almost world-wide distribution. But, of the
manyspeciesalive today, some are highly
endangered.[3]

WHAT IS THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
TURTLE AND
TORTOISES?

They are all reptiles and they all have shells but the basicdifference
betweenthem is turtleslive in water,tortoiseslive on land and
terrapins are a bit of both, but there's more to it than that.

QUESTIONS

The turtle belongs to which of

the following classes of
vertebrates?
Reptiles
Theturtle(aseacreaturelikeatortoise)
belongstotheclassofreptiles(reptilia)under
vertebrates.

What are examples of a

carnivorous and a herbivorous
reptile?
Snakesarecarnivorous.Iguanasare
herbivorous.