![]() This animal lives on islands near New Zealand. There are only two living species of tuatara, although at one time there were many more that are now extinct. Although there aren’t as many species of snakes as lizards, they are more widespread. Snakes are in the same order as lizards, Squamata, but they are limbless and have double-hinged jaws designed for swallowing food whole. They have protruding eyes that move in different directions at once, so they can see up, down, and to the right and left at the same time! They eat spiders and mosquitoes, making them helpful critters to have in your house if you live in a tropical climate! Some species make a clicking or squeaking noise that sounds like their name, ‘gecko.’ Chameleons, another kind of lizard, are most well-known for their ability to change color to blend into their environment. Geckos are lizards with tiny pads on their feet that help them cling to walls. Lizards are the largest group of reptiles, with about 4500 species. What comes to mind when you think of reptiles? An alligator poking its head out of a bayou? A snake sliding through the grass? A pet turtle? There’s a lot of variety in the reptile world in addition to the ones just named, there are tortoises lizards (including Komodo dragons, iguanas, geckos, and skinks) gharials, caimans, and crocodiles amphisbaenians or ‘worm lizards’ and iguana-like tuataras. The crocodilians need more efficient four-chambered hearts like ours, because of their size. ![]() ![]() The joints in between the individual vertebrae allow the backbone to be somewhat flexible.Īll reptiles and amphibians, except crocodilians, have three-chambered hearts. In colder climates, reptiles and amphibains hibernate during the winter.Īmphibians and reptiles are also vertebrates: they have a backbone. When they need to warm up, they bask in the sun or burrow into mud. So when they get too hot, they jump in cool water or hide in the shade. Both are cold-blooded or ‘ectothermic,’ which means their body temperatures adjust to the temperatures of their surroundings, rather than maintaining one set body temperature like humans do. Reptiles and amphibians have many physical differences, but they can be grouped together for a couple of reasons. Reptiles & Amphibians Science Lesson Reptile & Amphibian Basics
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