 |
| The Kingdom of Reptiles |
Cold blooded animas with scales on their skins are called ‘Reptiles’. The first reptiles were the descendants of the Dinosaurs. There are over 6,500 different types of reptiles which can be classified into six broad categories, i.e., snakes, tortoises and turtles, alligators and crocodiles, worm lizards, lizards and tuataras. Of these families the largest is of Lizards with 3800 different types and the one which is facing extinction is the Tuatara of which there is only one types that too only on the New Zealand islands.
More Topics:
This small 2 feet long creature hasn’t changed much for thousands of years. It feeds on worms, birds eggs and other small insects. Lizards have thin bodies and long tails they have claws or pads under their paws which helps them in climbing walls and crawling on ceilings.
Crocodiles and alligators are of 14 different types and among them the salt water crocodile is the largest measuring over 24 feet. Tortoise and Turtles have existed unchanged, they live mostly in the seas but they come ashore to lay eggs. The biggest amongst the tortoises is the one found on the Galapagos Islands, it is big enough for a man to ride.
Most reptiles are predators and eat bird eggs, insects, animals etc. By and large all reptiles reproduce by laying eggs, the the eggs though may be of different shapes, size and colour.
Depending upon their habitat, the reptiles choose places of convenience for laying their eggs, turtles for example lay their eggs in deep holes on sandy beaches and then cover them with sand. Once the eggs are hatched the newborns join the adults in the water. Reptiles are called cold blooded because they cannot generate body heat on their own so they absorb heat by basking in the Sun. The longest reptiles are the Pythons, as long as 35 feet, and the smallest is the 3 cm long Gecko.
Tags:
Encyclopedia