Reptiles

What animals are reptiles?  

There are many types of reptiles. The main categories are snakes, crocodiles and alligators, turtles, and lizards. Reptiles can be found on every continent except for Antarctica.

 

• Alligators and crocodiles look slow, but can move very quickly when attacking.
• Snakes are legless reptiles. They move along the ground by flexing their body and can move very quickly despite not having legs. Only a small percentage of snakes are poisonous. Many snakes are constrictors, meaning that they squeeze their prey with their bodies until the animal is dead or immobile. Then they swallow it whole. If the meal is large enough, a snake can go weeks or even months without needing to eat again.
• Lizards are similar to snakes, but with legs.
• Turtles are reptiles with a big shell to protect them. Some Turtles can live for more than 100 years.

 

 

What is a reptile?

Reptiles are animals that are cold-blooded. Most reptiles lay eggs and their skin is covered with hard, dry scales.

What does cold-blooded mean?

Animals that are cold-blooded don't automatically maintain a constant body temperature. They have to lay out in the sun to keep their body heat up. This also means that reptiles don't burn as much energy keeping their body warm and, as a result, they don't have to eat nearly as much food as a similar sized mammal or other warm-blooded animals.