approximately 7,900 species

habitats includes deserts,

forests, freshwater wetlands,

mangroves and open ocean

Reptiles are cold-blooded animals

Characteristics of a Reptile

many are egg-bearing

some bear live young

breathe through lungs; they normally

have two lungs, but some snakes only

have one

rows of identical teeth

dry, scaly, impermeable skin (keratin)

mostly carnivorous (insectivorous)

Integumentary System

Reptiles have thick and protective skin

Their scales are made of keratin.

Reptiles have few specified glands. The

ones they do have usually secrete

pheromones.

Digestive System

The digestive system of a reptile depends on what

kind of food it eats.

Meat eaters have a very simple stomach and a short

intestine.

Plant eaters, like turtles, have a more complicated

stomach and long intestines.

Crocodiles have large stomach

muscles because they have to

chew the flesh they eat into

small pieces.

Circulatory System

The circulatory system of a reptile is composed of two loops.

1. The pulmonary loop carries deoxygenated blood from the heart to the lungs and returns oxygenated blood to the heart.

2. The systemic loop transports oxygenated blood to the tissues of the body and returns deoxygenated blood to the heart.

Cont…….

Deoxygenated and oxygenated blood are kept

separate during contraction of the heart by the actions

of the heart valves and the movement of the septum

and ventricular walls.

It is advantageous for a reptile to divert blood away

from the lungs to conserve energy.

-For example, an inactive reptile needs so little

oxygen that it may go a long time without

breathing.

Similarly, aquatic reptiles do not breathe while they are

underwater.

Under these conditions, the heart pumps blood to the

body while reducing circulation through the lungs.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Squamata

Order: Testudinata

Order: Crocodilia

Order: Rhynchocephalia

Order Squamata

Suborder:

Serpents (snake)

and Lacertilian (lizards)

Suborder Serpents- Snake

~2125 species

no limbs

no external ear openings

or eyelids

ribs extend the entire length

of the vertebral column

all are carnivorous

Some snakes have an “extra” pair of eye

(more correctly, sensory organs) located on

the forehead that can detect infrared

radiation.

They can “see” the heat of

a mouse from a meter away,

even in conditions where our

eyes would see only pitch

dark.

Anatomy of a snake

Suborder Lacertilia- Lizards 5,000 different species

Due to their extremely tuned eyesight, many species

of lizard have highly acute color vision.

Most species of lizard are harmless to humans with

the exception of the komodo dragon, which is the

largest species of lizard in the world.

some species of lizard can shed their tails when they

are in danger, but not all species

of lizard are capable of doing this.

Order Testudinata (Chelonia)

Turtles and tortoise

has a shell consisting of

plastron and carapace

composed of bony underneath

and horny epidermal scales

called scutes

cryptodira: “hidden-necked” turtles which retract their

necks into the shell

pleurodira: “side-necked” turtles which wrap their

heads around the side of the shell

some predaceous, some herbivorous

Cont……

all oviparous with no parental care

some live over 100 years and weigh

over 600 lbs –

~240 species in the world

males are smaller than females

female plastron convex, male’s

concave

males have longer claws

Family of Order TestudinataFamily Chelydridae –

snapping turtles

Family Emydidae -

freshwater and box

turtles

Cont….

Family Kinosternidae –

mud and musk turtles

Family Trionychidae

- softshell turtles

Anatomy of a Turtle

Order Crocodilia from Greek: “ krokodeilos ”

meaning pebble worm

largest with regard to length,

up to 20 ft

21 species

4 heart chambers

Single croc can go through

3,000 teeth in its lifetime

Predaceous

ingested food not chewed - enters a gizzard that

contains stones to grind the food

three subfamilies:1. Crocodylinae - tropical

crocodiles: distinguished

by relatively pointed

snout

2. Alligatorinae -

alligators and

caimens: snout

more blunt

3. Gavialinae- gavial or gharial- snout beak-like

Only one species of Gavial: Gavialis gangeticus

Order: Rhynchocephalia

The Tuatara

Only one genus:

Sphenodon

Inhabit a few

islands in New

Zealand

The Tuatara characteristics:

small to medium sized reptile

lizard-like appearance

generally green or brown in

color and can grow up to a meter

in length

Long lived: 60 to 100 years or

more

Adults live in underground

burrows and are nocturnal.

tuatara also has a third eye on

the top of it's head

Cont….

known to eat their offspring

Carnivorous

the tuatara only mates

every 4 or 5 years and lack a

copulatory organ - mate by

repressing the cloaca

The female lays about a

dozen leathery eggs which

she digs into the ground.

The eggs of the tuatara often

take more than a year to hatch.

Thanks for listening!!

By Sharon M. Ballasiw

References

The Integumentary System Skin

www.raleighcharterhs.org/.../The%20Integumentary%20System.ppt

Retrieved on February 20, 2015

integument | biology :: Reptiles | Encyclopedia Britannica

www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/289723/integument/.../Reptiles

Retrieved on February 20, 2015

Reptile reproduction

www.esf.edu/efb/gibbs/efb485/ reproduction_reps.pdf

Retrieved on February 21, 2015

nervous system - Reptiles - Google Sites

https://sites.google.com/site/reptilesproject582012/nervous-system

Retrieved on February 21, 2015

Reptiles | Physical Features | How Reptiles Live

www.english-online.at/biology/reptiles/reptiles-body-features.htm

Retrieved on February 21, 2015