Reptiles

Characteristics
 * Reptile Information:**

-Body Structure -small holes in roof of mouth where tongue is inserted to pick up scents.
 * Dry skin, scales (protection & water conservation)
 * Legs fully under body for mobility
 * Jacobsen's organ

- Body Function
 * Lungs for gas exchange
 * three-chambered heart
 * ectotherms

-Reproduction -Several sacs inside hard shell that nourish the embryo until it hatches -Key to reptile success
 * Internal fertilization
 * External development in amniotic egg
 * Main reason for successful transition to land

__** - **__ Reptile Taxonomy Kingdom: Animilia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: vertebrata Class: Reptilla Orders: Chelonia, Crocodilia, squamata

- Chelonia -Protected by a shell - Powerful break and jaws but no teeth - Live completely on land
 * Turtles
 * Sea turtles have flippers nad migrate to lay eggs on land
 * Tortoises

- Crocodilia - More time in water - Slender snout - More time on land - Broad snout
 * Have powerful jaws and lay eggs in nests on the ground
 * Crocodiles
 * Alligators

- Squamata - Monitor lizards & komodo dragons are largest - Geckos are small, nocturnal; have pads on their feet to walk on walls - Posionous lizards include: Gila Monster (Southwest U.S) Beaded Lizard (Mexico) - Most numerous of all reptiles - No limbs - Hinged jaws to swallow prey whole - Constructors (boas, pythons, anacondas) - Poisonous (rattlesnakes, cobras, vipers) w/ venom that could destroy blood cells or nervous system
 * Lizards
 * Snakes

[] - article on Reptiles


 * Pictures:**
 * Caption:** Coral snakes vary widely in their behavior, but most are very fossorial snakes which spend the vast majority of their time buried beneath the ground or in the leaf litter of a rainforest floor.
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 * Caption:** Sea turtles are almost always submerged in water, and, therefore, have developed an anaerobic system of respiration. All sea turtles can breathe air, but under certain circumstances, they may divert to anaerobic respiration for long periods of time.
 * Citation:** []
 * Caption:** True to its name the Sagebrush Lizard prefer to live in sagebrush, but is also found in pine or fir forests, redwood forests, brushland, and pinon-juniper woodland.
 * Citation:** []

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 * Caption:** The Chinese Alligator currently is found only in the Yangtze valley and is extremely endangered, with only a few dozen believed to be left in the wild.

**Citation**: []
 * Caption:** The Chinese Alligator currently is found only in the Yangtze valley and is extremely endangered, with only a few dozen believed to be left in the wild.

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 * Videos:**
 * Video 1:** This video talks about how Leatherback turtles breathes to dive and swim underwater.
 * Citation:** http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/news/animals-news/leatherback-sea-turtle-buoyancy-vin.html

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 * Video 2:** This video shows the Frilled lizard's frill fully out and the way that it runs at its predators.
 * Citation:** http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/animals/reptiles-animals/lizards/lizard_frilled_ontherun.html


 * Article:**