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Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia, are
air-breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates that
have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair
or feathers. They are tetrapods (having or
having descended from vertebrates with four
limbs) and amniotes, whose embryos are
surrounded by an amniotic membrane. Modern
reptiles inhabit every continent with the
exception of Antarctica, and four living orders
are currently recognized:
- Crocodilia (crocodiles, gavials, caimans and
alligators)(23 species)
- Rhynchocephalia (tuatara from New Zealand): 2 species
- Squamata (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenids
("worm-lizards"): approximately 7,900 species
- Testudines (turtles, tortoises and terrapins):
approximately 300 species
The majority of reptile
species are oviparous (egg-laying) although
certain species of squamates are capable of
giving live birth. This is achieved, either
through ovoviviparity (egg retention), or
viviparity (offspring born without use of
calcified eggs). Many of the viviparous species
feed their fetuses through various forms of
placenta analogous to those of mammals with some
providing initial care for their hatchlings.
Extant reptiles range in size from the
newly-discovered Jaragua Sphaero, at 1.6 cm (0.6
in), to the Saltwater Crocodile, at up to at
least 7 m (23 ft).
Reptiles As Pets
Lizards
- Anoles
- Giant Anole
- Green Anole
- Knight Anole
Basilisks
Chameleon
Dragons
Geckos
- Banded Desert Gecko
- Day Gecko
- Green Tree Gecko
- House Gecko
- Leopard Gecko
- Tokay Gecko
Iguanas
- Desert Iguana
- Green Iguana
Monitors
- Mangrove Monitor
- Nile Monitor
- Savannah Monitor
- Tree Monitor
- Water Monitor
Snakes
- Boas
- Rosy Boa
- Corn Snakes
- Black Rat Snake
- Corn Snake
- Great Plains Rat Snake
- King snakes
- California Kingsnake
- Eastern kingsnake
- Pythons
- Ball Python
- Burmese Python
- Coastal Carpet Python
- Green Tree Python
- Jungle Carpet Python
- Reticulated Python
Tortoises
Turtles
- Box Turtles
- Eastern Box Turtle
- Mexican Box Turtle
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