Reptiles Octavio’s Book Reptiles

Reptiles are vertebrates ( have backbones )

The tortoise and turtle are reptiles protected by a heavy shell

Terrapins are called the turtles that live in freshwater

Reptiles are covering with tough scales

Lizards are the largest group of reptiles (about 3750 species)

The biggest lizard is the Komodo dragon (up to 3 m. long)

Chameleons are slow moving lizard famous for their ability to change color

The slow-worm looks like snake but is a lizards without legs

Another interesting reptile is the Australian frilled lizard

Reptiles can not control their body temperature

The crocodiles and alligators are reptiles

Most reptiles lay eggs and live in warm places

The tuatara is a reptile described like a living fossil

Snakes are slender reptiles with no legs

The boas and pythons, are snakes

The largest snake is the anaconda (up to 9m long)

Some snakes are poisonous like the vipers and cobras

But the world most dangerous are:

The saw-scaled viper of Africa, the Indian cobra and the Australian taipan

Reptiles are found everywhere except in the far north and south

There are 6500 different species of reptiles