Facts about Reptiles
A herpetologist is a zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians.
Reptiles offer economic, ecological, aesthetic, and symbolic value to humans.
The following classification of living reptiles was given by Uetz (2005), which was modified from the overall taxonomy of Zug et al.
Reptiles are tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates) and amniotes (animals whose embryos are aided and protected by several membranes, whether carried inside the mother or laid outside as part of an egg).
Symbolically, reptiles appear in literature and religion in a variety of ways.
Reptiles offer economic, aesthetic, symbolic, and ecological values to humans.
Most reptiles have closed circulation via a three-chamber heart comprising two atria and one variably-partitioned ventricle.
The terms Sauropsida ("Lizard Faces") and Theropsida ("Beast Faces") were coined to distinguish between lizards, birds, and their relatives on one hand (Sauropsida) and mammal-like reptiles and mammals (Theropsida) on the other.
Shortly after the appearance in the fossil record of the first reptiles, a second branch appeared.
Some cladists thus redefine Reptilia as a monophyletic group, including the classic reptiles as well as the birds and perhaps the mammals (depending on ideas about their relationships).
Reptiles appear in designs on apparel and other consumer goods because of their appeal.
Uetz (2000) reported 2,100 living species of reptiles in Asia (including New Guinea), 1,550 in South America, 1,350 in Africa, 1,050 in Central America, and 850 in Australia.
Land-dwelling reptiles, such as snakes and lizards, excrete nitrogenous wastes in pasty or dry form as crystals of uric acid (Towle 1989).
A diverse group of egg-laying vertebrate animals, the Sauropsida includes all modern and most extinct "reptiles" (excluding synapsids).
The reptiles as defined are clearly not monophyletic (but rather are paraphyletic), since they exclude both birds and mammals, although these also are considered to be descendant from the original reptile.
The synapsids represented the reptilian lineage that led to the mammals, and gradually evolved increasingly mammalian features, hence, "mammal-like reptiles."
The synapsids eventually evolved into mammals and the early synapsids have been referred to as mammal-like reptiles by some specialists, while others argue that even the early synapsids were no longer reptiles.
The synapsids were originally defined, at the turn of the twentieth Century, as one of the five main subclasses of reptiles on the basis of their distinctive temporal openings.
Modern reptiles in general do not generate enough heat to maintain a constant body temperature and are thus referred to as "cold-blooded" (ectothermic).
Other examples of fossil animals considered to be ancient reptiles are those of the genera Petrolacosaurus, Araeoscelis, Paleothyris, Ophiacodontidae, Archaeothyris, and Ophiacodon, and also the family of mesosaurs.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) tabulated 8,163 described species of reptiles in 2004.
Most reptiles lack a secondary palate, meaning that they must hold their breath while swallowing.
Some reptiles also present threats to people, whether because they are venomous, like some snakes, or can attack humans, such as some crocodilians.
Reptiles, which in most cases are covered with scales, have traditionally been defined as including all the amniotes except birds and mammals.
Today, reptiles are represented by four surviving orders distributed among more than 7500 species found on every continent except for Antarctica.
The consumption by reptiles of rodents and insect pests aids in control of these animals, which can be serious agricultural pests.
Ecologically, reptiles are a critical element in the food chains of most ecosystems, and sometimes a keystone species whose removal can drastically alter the populations of other organisms.
Some reptiles are considered aesthetically pleasing with their vivid colors.
General FeaturesAll reptiles have a backbone, which means they are vertebrates.All reptiles produce eggs. Most reptiles lay hard-shelled eggs, but a few give birth to live young.All reptiles have scales or scutes. ... Reptiles are ectothermic or cold-blooded, which means they cannot control their own body temperature.
Since they can live on land, they also have an expanded lung system. Reptiles include turtles, crocodilians, lizards, snakes and tuatara (found only in New Zealand). The reptiles of Quebec are represented by turtles and snakes only. Curently, there are 37 known species of amphibians and reptiles in Quebec.
These four reptile orders are as follows:Crocodilia — crocodiles, gharials, caimans and alligators: 23 species.Sphenodontia — tuataras from New Zealand: 2 species.Squamata — lizards, snakes and amphisbaenids ("worm-lizards"): about 7,900 species.Testudines — turtles and tortoises: approximately 300 species.
Reptiles are tetrapod animals in the class Reptilia, comprising today's turtles, crocodilians, snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, tuatara, and their extinct relatives. The study of these traditional reptile orders, historically combined with that of modern amphibians, is called herpetology.
The five most well known classes of vertebrates (animals with backbones) are mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians. They are all part of the phylum chordata -- I remember "chordata" by thinking of spinal chord. There are also a lot of animals without backbones.