Reptiles

Reptiles

1. What are reptiles?

   • Reptiles are generally terrestial vertebrates . They move by crawling and slithering. CHARACTERISTICS: -They have thick skin which is covered in impermeable sacales -Most of them have four lengs ending in five claws  -They are ectothermic  -They have lung for breathing

2. Types of reptiles

   • Chelonians:
     • (Tortoises and turtles) Can be aquatic or terrestial . They don´t have eany teeth : their mandibles form beak which they use to cut their food . They have a shell which covers their trunk.. 
   • Cocodrillians:
     • (cocodriles,caimans.alligatots and gharials) live in water and on land . They are large and have large scales.They are predators that have oowerful jaws strong teeth.
   • Squamantes:
     • There are two groups of squamantes: SAURUIRIANS -the iguana, lizards, geockos, chamaleons.... -they are mostly terrestial -some of them can shed their tail to distract predators. OPHIDIANS: -snakes -they can be terrestial or aquatic  -they have very long body and dont have legs. -some snakes have a venomous bite.

3. Vital functions

   • Nutrition:
     • Most of the reptiles are carnivores. Only a few such as tortoises,lizards and iguanas, are herbivores.
   • Reproduction:
     • Reptiles reproduce sexually.  Almost all of them are oviparous and their eggs have an impermeable shell.
   • Interaction:
     • Inreraction in this type of animals works grouping neurons together to form nervous centres which proces information and cords or nerves which conect the sense organs to the nerve centres and nerve centres to the effector organs.