There are almost 10,000 species of reptiles on the planet lumped into a single class known as reptilia. They are commonly known as the creeping vertebrates. The class reptilia the reptiles class reptilia include turtles, snakes, alligators, and lizards. The function of these temporal fossae was probably to enable the jaw muscles to. A class of vertebrates composed of four living orders, the turtles or chelonia, the tuatara or sphenodonta, the lizards and snakes or squamata, and the. They are ectothermic coldblooded and are found mostly in the warmer parts of the world. Class reptilia reptiles reptiles the class reptilia including turtles, snakes, alligators, and lizards and all share the following physical traits. Download pdf biology of the reptilia book full free. Even though most traditional models of classification will put birds in their own class, they. Characteristic features of class reptilia online science. Reptiles are the creeping and burrowing cold blooded vertebrates bearing epidermal scales.
The class reptilia consists of more than 7000 species, including about 250 species of turtles, tortoises, and terrapins belonging to order chelonia, 2500 species of snakes in the suborder serpentes, and 4500 species of lizards in the suborder sauria snakes and lizards are combined to form the order squamata. Although reptiles share some of the same traits as mammals and. Some things the quiz will go over include groups in the class reptilia and notable examples of reptiles. Reptile, any member of the class reptilia, the group of airbreathing vertebrates that have internal fertilization, amniotic development, and epidermal scales covering part or all of their body.
The male turtle deposits sperm within the cloaca of the female. Some taxonomists defined reptilia as the archosauria plus the lepidosaurs, thus including birds 8. Specific reptilian characteristics skin integument exoskeleton of scales composed of the protein keratin. Reptiles are unable to maintain their body temperature like birds and mammals. Options a body covered with dry and cornified skin, scales over the body are epidermal, they do not have external ears b body covered with moist skin which is devoid of scales, the ear is represented by a tympanum, alimentary canal, urinary and reproductive tracts open into a common cloaca. The first and foremost characteristic of the reptiles is that are cold blooded. In 1895, herpetologists separated reptiles from amphibia. One of the most important characteristics of animals is how efficiently they gather and utilize oxygen, the molecular fuel that powers metabolic processes. To learn more about subscribing to accessscience, or to request a norisk trial of this awardwinning scientific reference for your institution, fill in your information and a member of our sales team will contact you as soon as possible. Characteristics of the order squamata include a transverse vent or cloacal opening goin and goin 1971, skulls that are more moveable or kinetic than other reptile orders, paired copulatory organs called hemipenes, keratinous scales that cover the body, and the shedding of the outer epidermal layer. Reptiles wichita mountains wildlife refuge order chelonia family chelydridae snapping turtles common snapping turtle chelydridae serpentina serpentina family kinosternidae musk and mud turtles yellow mud turtle kinosternon flavescens flavescens family emydidae pond and box turtles ouachita map turtle graptemys pseudogeographica.
The reptiles are classified mainly on the structure of their skulls, in which there are temporal vacuities or fossae or empty spaces in the temporal region. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Why would it be beneficial to have several membranes. Reptiles are a grade of evolution rather than a clade. They are inhabitants of terrestrial and aquatic both marine and freshwaters environments. These are creeping and burrowing terrestrial animals with scales on their body. The life cycle of the turtle the adult turtle is either male or female. Welcome to our presentation classification of reptiles 2. Though variation exists in reptiles, there are a few physical traits that unite them.
The reptiles evolved from amphibians that became increasingly terrestrial and. Limbless reptilessnakes and other squamateshave vestigial limbs and, like caecilians, are classified as tetrapods because they are descended from fourlimbed ancestors. Josephus nicolaus laurenti was the first to formally use the term reptilia for an expanded selection of reptiles and amphibians basically similar to that of linnaeus. Reptiles were the first vertebrates fully adapted for life on land. They are able to regulate their inner body temperature to the temperature of the environment. In this article we will discuss about the characters and classification of reptilia. Reptilia article about reptilia by the free dictionary. Adaptations for terrestrial life amphibians are adapted to live on land parttime. There are a few integumentary scent glands secreting pheromones during breeding seasons. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The scales of the reptiles develop as a surface cells filled with keratin. The study of these traditional reptile orders, historically combined with that of modern amphibians, is called herpetology.
These are a diverse group of animals that are coldblooded and have or had scales. Their skin is dry, cornified and usually covered by epidermal scales or scutes. Reptilia is committed to helping private owners and government organizations find suitable lifelong homes for these animals, which cannot be released to the wild. While most of them have a threechambered heart, crocodiles have four heart chambers.
Description and physical characteristics of reptiles all. The class reptilia reptiles class reptilia include. This online assessment will test you on the characteristics and importance of reptiles. Class reptilia is the group of animals known as the reptiles. Amphibians amphibia and reptiles reptilia are two classes of animals that are grouped together because they are considered cold blooded however this is an improper term. Class reptilia these animals are coldblooded, have scales and breathe through lungs.
The major groups of living reptiles are turtles, tuatara, lizards, snakes, and crocodiles. Introduction the word reptilia came from latin word reptum which means creep. Pdf biology of the reptilia download full pdf book. Reptiles therefore identified as amniotes that are not birds 6. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts.
Find specific details on this topic and related topics from the msd vet manual. Following are the important characteristics of the animals belonging to class reptilia. Some of the general characters of class reptilia are listed below. Reptiles are tetrapod animals in the class reptilia, comprising todays turtles, crocodilians, snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, tuatara, and their extinct relatives. The class reptilia includes lizards, snakes, alligators, crocodiles and turtles. Characteristics of reptiles coldblooded regulate their body temperature using the environment can survive both on land and in water most lay eggs most have scales, none have hair or fur all lack external ears 3. Reptiles are coldblooded vertebrates, breath by lungs and having the body covered by scales or scutes. Class reptilia the upper part of the skull of reptiles is modified giving the reptiles a far more efficient and powerful jaw action and making the skull light. The animal diversity web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. Classification of reptilia zoology for ias, ifos and. Learn about the veterinary topic of description and physical characteristics of reptiles. A basioccipital bone is present in the skull which articulates with the vertebral column by a single condyle. The bony endoskeleton consists of cranium or skull, appendages, and limb girdles. They have backbones that house the spinal cords that run the length of their bodies.
Reptiles exhibit similar characteristics of other vertebrates like mammals, birds, and some amphibians. They are coldblooded animals found in most of the warmer regions of the. Biology of the reptilia available for download and read online in other formats. An introductory presentation for my high school zoology course that examines the class reptilia.
Class reptilia body plan have a scale covered skin, and they have claws. Adw doesnt cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Some live in water but they too return on land for breeding. Reptiles are some of the best known, charismatic and feared of all animals, they have a very long and significant history as a group, including the dinosaurs, pterosaurs and icthyosaurs. A great addition to your montessori science curriculum. Reptiles also have chains of bony elements from the tail to the head. Hello im tithi modak i have discussed in this video the characteristics and classification of class reptilia with examples. Class reptilia reptiles this set includes 8 photographic cards of reptiles and can be used for classification of animals. Turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators, crocodiles, and dinosaurs. The class reptilia includes the snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles of the world. Explain main characteristics of class reptilia and. They have evolved from the amphibians and in turn, give raise to the birds and mammals.
Reptiles fall in a category somewhere between mammals, who are warmblooded and usually have fur or hair, and amphibians, who spend a lot of time in the water and have a less complex circulatory system. Animals that are a part of the vertebrate class reptilia. The terms reptile and amphibian were largely interchangeable, reptile from latin repere, to creep being preferred by the french. Pdf created with fineprint pdffactory trial version reptilia the strokes page 2 of 6. All reptiles, including snakes, turtles, crocodiles, and lizards, are equipped with airbreathing lungs, though different kinds of reptiles employ different means of respiration. Reptilia are two classes of animals that are grouped. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Reptilia as recorded by the strokes from the 2003 album room on fire words and music by julian casablancas xxbm 7 fr. They are vertebrates, which puts them in the same phylum as humans, dogs, cats, fish and many other animals. How is that different from where amphibians lay their eggs. Notice how birds somehow fall into this phylogenetic tree. Divers, in small animal endoscopy third edition, 2011.