Reptiles are a class of vertebrate animals, their name refers to their way of locomotion, which is crawling on the ground (creeping). Although many of them have legs, like crocodiles, sometimes they just use them as a point of support. Some reptiles use camouflage, avoidance, attacking and biting, to defend themselves. They have evolved in such a way that it allows them to survive far from water, the conditions and protection of their skin protects them from becoming dehydrated.
Characteristics of reptiles
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The body of reptiles is covered in hard, waterproof scales that protect them from desiccation since most are terrestrial.
Reptiles are mostly oviparous and ovoviviparous and exceptionally viviparous, but always with internal fertilization. In reptiles copulatory organs are observed in a more generalized way.
They are cold-blooded, since they do not regulate their body temperature, it depends on the environment where they develop, that is, their body adapts to the temperature of the environment.
Among reptiles, its striking shape is frequent, whose main function is to alert potential enemies to its danger or to intimidate them and avoid possible attacks.
They have a more developed respiratory system than amphibians.
Their tongues have very important functions for the species, they are taste, tactile and olfactory, depending on the case of the reptile.
The marine reptiles are animals in their evolution have adapted to an aquatic and semi - aquatic life. Mosasaurs were the first marine reptiles to appear in the Permian period. There are reptiles that have adapted to life on land, despite this there are species that have modified their way of life and have returned to the marine environment. Among the main marine reptiles are turtles. There are crocodiles that sometimes reach salty waters, although their natural habitat is fresh water.
The most evolved reptiles are oviparous and carnivorous, which include crocodiles, alligators and gharials, typical of rivers and the porous crocodile, which lives in coastal rivers and the sea.
Galapagos and turtles are freshwater and marine animals.
There are some people to whom the exotic and surprising appearance of some reptiles makes them very attractive when deciding to have a pet. Domestic reptiles are those that are raised in the backyards of the houses and that are treated like any pet. It is important to understand that reptiles are not domestic, despite being strong animals they require complicated conditions and care. Still, some people decide to have a pet reptile, so you should be aware of the temperature and food you need to be able to live.
The most commonly used reptiles as pets are:
- The gecko is a very attractive small lizard for those who are new to caring for a pet and is easy to care for.
- The water turtle is a protected species, to avoid its extinction, easy to care for and feed.
- The iguana, to have this type of pet, a very large space is needed since it can grow up to two meters in length, it feeds on vegetables and insects.
- The snake is considered the best domestic reptile, since there are a great variety of species of different types, sizes and colors.
Types of reptiles.
The classification of reptiles is according to four orders:
- Order Chelonia: its main characteristic is the existence of a bony carapace, covered with coded skin that encloses the body inside and within which the legs and head can generally retract. They are terrestrial and marine animals, among them are turtles and galapagos.
- Crocodylia order: they have bodies covered with hard dermal scales that form a crust and have teeth implanted in alveoli. They comprise the most evolved reptiles are oviparous and carnivorous. They include crocodiles, alligators, and gharials.
- Order Squamata: It has four well-developed limbs and the eyes are protected by moving lids. Among them are lizards, lizards, geckos, iguanas, chameleon dragons.
- Order Rhynchocephalia: there is only one member still alive, the tuatara, it is a lizard from New Zealand.
What is the diet of reptiles
As has already been said before, reptiles are vertebrate animals, very diverse in terms of their species and their diet is very varied. It is common to hear that reptiles are animals that adapt to the environment they inhabit and the options it offers for their food.
Reptiles mostly feed on insects and the vegetation that surrounds them, insectivorous reptiles are: chameleons, lizards.
Another group of reptiles are carnivores, they feed on the meat of other animals. In this case, reptiles are careful when choosing their prey, in the case of snakes, they choose their prey according to size, since they devour the prey without chewing and ingest them completely. They also take into account the movements and the smell they give off. In the case of crocodiles, he is only interested in the size of the prey, despite having teeth, they do not chew completely, but crush with their jaws.
Herbivorous reptiles feed only on plants of plant origin, although there are some that also obtain their nutrients from small insects, such as land turtles, iguanas, and spiny-tailed lizards.
What are the reptiles in danger of extinction.
Reptiles are animals that emerged on earth millions of years ago, there are still species, although the danger of extinction is a constant threat on the planet. Among the reptiles in danger of extinction are:
- The Leatherback Turtle, this species is different from the rest of the turtles, since its shell is very soft and similar to a skin, it can measure 1.33 to 2.4 meters from its head to the tail and with a weight between 250 and 900 kg. This reptile adapts to any type of water, it can be observed in the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans, it can reach Alaska. In 1988 they captured one in New Wales that is considered the largest in the world and according to studies by scientists it may be more than 100 years old, but it is not known how long they can live. Its threat of extinction lies in the pollution of the seas by plastic bags, the turtle mistakes them for their food and this can cause an intestinal blockage.
- Gavial del Galés, is a type of crocodile of the Gavialidae family, one of the animals with the greatest danger of extinction, since the rest of the families of its species disappeared. It is one of the reptiles with the strangest characteristics that currently inhabit the earth. It can reach 6 to 9 meters in length, they are friendly when they match others of the same species. They have 110 huge teeth with a very long jaw, so much so that it is usually injured with its own teeth. They are found in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, India, Burma, and Nepal. For this reptile, the threat of extinction is indiscriminate fishing, water pollution and poaching.
- The Giant Iron Lizard, is the last living dinosaur, it is in critical danger of extinction, it is found in the area of the cliffs of the Island of Iron south of Tibataje between Guinea and passed the pine. It is a small reptile with very sharp nails and muscular limbs, it can measure from 60 to 70 cm, the male is larger and weighs 700 grams. They can be up to 20 years old. Its danger of extinction derives from the predation of cats and rats.
Natural disasters, poaching and the destruction of the reptile's natural habitat are some of the reasons why many species of these vertebrates are already extinct from our planet. Dinosaurs are the best known extinct reptiles, they existed in the Mesozoic era, they were of different shapes, sizes and habitats.
These animals existed for more than 150 million years, they adopted different shapes, sizes, mostly carnivorous predators, despite this they coexist with other herbivorous species, their extinction from the land was mainly due to natural disasters that occurred approximately 65 years ago. millions of years.
There are killer reptiles, they are very dangerous in the life of man, among them are: Crocodiles, this animal is terrifying, they have a hard and rough skin, a long jaw with immense fangs. They are completely carnivorous, according to statistics their victims oscillate around 1000 annually. And snakes, which are mostly poisonous, are classified as the third most dangerous species on earth, it is estimated that their annual victims are close to 5000 or year.
Difference between reptiles and amphibians.
- Amphibians need a humid environment to survive unlike reptiles that can live in dry places.
- Some reptiles may have their bodies covered by hard skin and some by soft skin, while amphibians are characterized by having skin protected by a slippery secretion in the form of mucus.
- The repeats do not undergo metamorphic changes during their development and growth, whereas amphibians do.
- The eggs of the reptiles are covered by a waterproof and hard shell very similar to the eggs of birds, whereas the eggs of amphibians do not have a shell, they are not waterproof so they are very similar to the eggs of fish.
