Reptiles
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Order: Squamata
Order: Crocodilia
Class Reptilia
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Herpetology – study of
reptiles
Ectotherms – cold
blooded, must get heat
from environment
Skin is covered with
scales
Most are egg-laying
Tetrapods – landdwelling vertebrates
Ectotherms
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Cold-blooded animals take
on the temperature of their
surroundings
More active in warm
environments and very
sluggish in cold
environments
Results of muscle activities
that work on chemical
reactions which speed up in
warmer temperatures
Ectotherms
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Must bask in sun to
warm-up and speed-up
metabolism
Lie in certain directions
and expand rib cages to
absorb more heat
If too hot they move to
shade, burrow, open
their mouth wide, or
lighten skin color
Advantages vs. Disadvantages
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Require less energy than
warm-blooded animals
Therefore in food scarce
environments such as the
desert they do not have to
burn energy to keep warm
Can reduce body temperature
to save energy
Immune system more
efficient because bacteria
grows slower in the cold
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Must be warm out for them
to have a certain level of
activity to hunt and defend
themselves
Also need it to be warm to
find a mate and reproduce
Class Reptilia
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Breathe air using lungs
Evolved from
amphibians
Evolution
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Evolved during the
Paleozoic Era from the
dinosaurs
Included Icthyosaurs,
plesiosaurs, placodonts,
and mosasaurs
Order Testudines
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Turtles, tortoises, and
terrapins
Bony or cartilaginous
shells are used for
protection
Shell is fused to
backbone
Sea Turtles
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Legs have been modified
into flippers
Cannot retract head into
shell
Lay eggs on land
8 species who live
primarily in warm water,
all endangered
Feed on sea grasses and
seaweeds
Beak
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All turtles do not have
teeth, instead they have a
beak and strong biting
jaws
Eat everything from sea
weeds to sponges to
barnacles to jellyfish
Exploitation
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Nesting areas turned into
resorts
Eggs are taken by the
bucketful to be eaten
Adults meat considered a
delicacy and cartilage
used in turtle soup
Some shells are collected
as jewelry
Shrimp nets trap and kill
Order Squamata
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Includes sea snakes and
marine iguanas
Marine Iguanas
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Only lizard to feed
underwater
Shorter snout to scrape
algae off of rocks
Long, curled claws to
hold onto rocks in
rougher waters
Longer, flattened tails to
help swimming
Diving Ability
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Can withstand long
bouts of lactate for
periods of to two
minutes
Imagine being able to
sprint as hard as you can
for two minutes straight
Sea Snakes
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Breath air
Flattened tail for
swimming
Flap covers nostril while
swimming
Eels have gills and no
scales
Sea Snakes
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Feed on fish, fish eggs,
and eels
Stay in shallow waters
and can be found in
groups
Venom
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Venom used to immobilize not
kill prey
Most toxic snakes on earth
Bite is painless due to short fangs
½ Hour Symptoms: stiffness,
muscle aches, spasm of jaw, pain
in limb
Eventual symptoms: Blurred
vision, drowsiness, and
respiratory paralysis
Order Crocodilia
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Saltwater Crocodile
Found in estuaries and
along the coast of Indian
Ocean, Australia, and
Western Pacific Islands
Evolution of Crocodile
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Last of the types of
reptiles around during
the dinosaurs
Saltwater Crocodile
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Animal most likely to
attack and eat a human
17-23 feet and 1000-2000
pounds in size
Some estimated at as
much as 33 feet