Examples of reptiles

A reptile is a vertebrate animal with rough , scaly skin that can live in bodies of water or in the surrounding land. Reptiles are characterized by the fact that to move on the ground what they do is crawl , that is, crawl on the ground or very low, so close to it. Among the reptiles there are some that have four legs like alligators and crocodiles, but there are others that do not have them like all snakes, that move their long belly to travel from one place to another.

During the Mesozoic Era or geological Era “of the average life”, the reptiles abounded in the form of dinosaurs like the pterodactyls, the brachiosaurs, the tyrannosaurs, the ankylosaurs, and also minor reptiles. The reptiles are considered a paraphyletic group , that is, a class that is included in the common ancestor (dinosaurs) of its members, but not all animals descended from this (not all descendants of dinosaurs are reptiles).

Here are the characteristics of reptiles.

Characteristics of reptiles

1. Most of them crawl, that is, they move with their four legs very low on the ground, brushing their belly over it. Their legs are generally short and with claws that allow a better fixation in each step. There are exceptions such as snakes, which, having no legs, crawl along the ground with their entire elongated body.
2. Although some of them have been originally aquatic, reptiles have evolved in such a way that they can currently survive far from water.
3. They are characterized by having scales and shells that cover their bodies, whose function is to store enough water and prevent them from dehydrating when they are on the ground.
4. Reptiles constantly change their skin. Just as humanity has a constant regeneration in its skin cells and is shedding them in the course of days, reptiles change it in one go, and it is seen as a rough layer that is removed.
5. They have more advanced respiratory and circulatory systems than those of amphibians.
6. In some cases, reptiles have no limbs, their bodies are very elongated, and they have a large number of vertebrae.
7. Reptiles have a variable temperature, however, they are cold-blooded animals.
8. These vertebrate animals normally live in warm environments and become lethargic during the winter.
9. Reptiles use their tongues for various functions, such as taste, olfactory and even tactile functions.

• Reptiles are oviparous, so fertilization is internal. In this way, the male mates with the female, and eggs are formed. Subsequently, the female lays the eggs in the ground and buries them.
• Most reptiles are carnivores and have a digestive tract that is characterized by being short and straightforward. They have a slower digestion than mammals.
• The lungs possessed by reptiles are spongy and have a greater surface area for gas exchange than in the case of amphibians. Many reptiles have muscles that surround the ribs and expand the chest cavity to inhale, or collapse the cavity to exhale.
• Reptile urine is produced in the kidneys. In some cases, urine flows through tubes directly into a cloaca, a system similar to that of amphibians.
• The brain pattern of a reptile is similar to that of an amphibian, although the brain and cerebellum are considerably larger compared to the rest of the brain mass.
• Reptiles originated from amphibians during the Carboniferous period. At the end of the Mesozoic, several groups of reptiles disappeared.

Types of reptiles

Although reptiles share these general characteristics, it is also necessary to mention that  there are several types  of these:

1. Chelonians:This type of reptile includes turtles. They have a short, reddish body that is made up of two parts, one upper and one upper. They have a beak similar to that of birds. This group comprises 220 species.
2. Rhincocephalus:This type of reptile is considered a living fossil. It only lives in New Zealand and its physical characteristics are unique.
3. Scaly:This type of reptile has an elongated body, covered with scales or shields.
4. Crocodiles: This type of reptile belongs to the aquatic life animals, with a bony palate, teeth implanted in alveoli and abdominal sternum.

After reviewing its main characteristics and the most important types of reptiles that exist, some examples of these will be shown below:

15 examples of reptiles:

1. Crocodile: These reptiles are adapted to lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle. Thus, although they are very good swimmers, they also have the ability to spend time on dry land. The crocodile has hard, rigid skin covered by very resistant scales that serve as armor. Its tail has strong muscles, which allows it to have a better displacement.
2. Snake: These reptiles have the main characteristic that they do not have legs, so they crawl completely on the ground. There are 456 genera and more than 2,900 species around the world, of which only 450 are poisonous.
3. Sea turtle:These are cold-blooded reptiles that inhabit all tropical oceans. Although they are exclusively marine, they do touch the land to nest.
4. Iguana:This is a scaly reptile native to the tropics. Among these types of reptiles, the Caribbean iguana and the green iguana stand out.
5. Flying lizard:This is a reptile that lives in Australia and receives that name, not because it has the ability to fly, but because its jumps reach great dimensions.
6. Komodo Dragon:These reptiles have lived in Indonesia since prehistoric times. This reptile can measure up to 4 meters and weighs 150 kilos. It has a huge jaw, and it moves violently, tearing at the chunks of its victim’s flesh with great ferocity.
7. Blind shingles:These reptiles are strictly adapted to underground life. They are capable of tunneling and locating prey underground. They have an elongated, cylindrical body covered with quadrangular scales that are aligned in the form of rings.
8. The green basilisk:Within the basilisks there are four species of lizards that can be differentiated by the color of their skin and the shape of their crest. During the Middle Ages, stories were told about this animal, which claimed that it was capable of killing a man with its eyes.
9. Alligator:These reptiles are very similar to the crocodile, except for the bony scales that they have in the ventral area. They live in the American tropics. The largest within this species is the black caiman of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, its length is 4.5 meters and it has black skin.

• Labaria:This is a poisonous snake from the Crotalidae family, whose head is markedly triangular.
• The python:This type of snake is one of the most poisonous that exist, it belongs to the Boidos family. Pythons are large and muscular, and they kill their victim by strangulation or constriction.
• The chameleon:Chameleons live in trees and hunt insects thanks to their long, sticky tongue. There are 85 species of chameleons in the world.
• Snout Viper:These reptiles have eyes with a vertical pupil, a head clearly differentiated from the body, a notably raised snout and tubular teeth.
• Leatherback turtle:This is the largest sea turtle, it can reach a length of 200 cm and a weight of up to 900 kilograms.
• Gallipato:This is a newt with a laterally flattened tail, which is equal to or shorter than the rest of its body; its head is also flattened and it has very small eyes.