Reptiles
The First True Terrestrial Tetrapods
# of Species of Reptiles
Species Numbers by Higher Taxa:Amphisbaenia (amphisbaenians) 165Sauria (lizards) 4765Serpentes (snakes) 2978Testudines (turtles) 307Crocodylia (crocodiles) 23Rhynchocephalia (tuataras) 2Reptiles total 8240
Reptile Characteristics• Ectothermic• Dry skin covered in scales• Most have 2 pairs of short legs & clawed feet• Oviparous reproduction (Internal fertilization – to avoid
desiccation of gametes)• Eggs have a leathery shell and yolk (amniotic)• Lungs to breathe• 3 or 4 chambered heart• No metamorphosis (young look like miniature parent)• Hibernate & aestivate
Ectothermy
– Body temperature regulated by ambient air temperature
Dry Scaly Skin
The body of reptiles is covered with horny epidermal scales to reduce water loss and provide protection.
Reptile Legs
• Short tetrapods for walking
• Positioning of the legs more directly under the animal. This position provided more support than the splayed arrangement of the Amphibian legs.
Paired Limbs• The paired limbs usually have five toes
and are variously adapted for:• Swimming• Running• Climbing• (Absent altogether in the snakes)
Oviparous
• Amniotic eggs have a leathery shell to prevent desiccation
Amniotic Egg
Amniotic Egg Structures & Functions
• Chorion provides a special hard covering that is permeable to respiratory gases (O2 and CO2) while being impermeable to water vapor.
• Allantois is a storage reservoir for metabolic waste products such as nitrogenous compounds.
• Amnion is a fluid filled sac that acts as a cushion for the embryo and also prevents desiccation.
• Yolk sac contains food for the embryo, thus eliminating the need for a larval stage.
Reptile Lungs
• Respiration is no longer through the skin, but only through internally protected and moistened lungs.
• They have a much greater surface area for the exchange of gases.
• They are inflated and deflated by the expansion & contraction of the rib cage.
Reptile Hearts
• Reptiles have a 3-chambered heart
• Crocodiles have a 4-chambered heart
Excretory Waste
• The excretory waste of the reptiles is uric acid unlike the dilute, water wasting ammonia in the urine of Amphibians.
Family AmphisbaenidaeFamily Amphisbaenidae (Worm Lizards)(Worm Lizards)
• Size: The total body length ranges from 10 cm to about 70 cm.
• Distribution: Mostly Africa & South America with a few species in Europe and North America.
• Habitat: Soil.
• Reproduction: usually oviparous, but some are live-bearing
Lizard Anatomy
Lizard Reproduction
Hatchling Komodo Dragon
Snake Anatomy
Jacobson’s Organ
Snake Reproduction
Turtle Anatomy
Turtle Shell Anatomy
Turtle Shell Anatomy
Fusion of ribs, vertebrae, & carapace
Turtle Life Cycle
Turtle Reproduction
Crocodilians
• Crocodiles, Alligators, Caimans, & Gavials
Gavial
Alligator
Crocodile
Caiman
• The temperature inside the nest of several crocodilian species decides the sex of the young. ~50-80 eggs
• If the nest temperature is 30ºC, females will hatch from all the eggs
• If the temperature is above 34ºC, all will be males.
• If the temperature is in between, there will be young of both sexes.
Crocodilian Reproduction