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Reptiles, facts for kids and adults

Reptiles are the class of animals that includes lizards and snakes, crocodiles and alligators, and turtles (See Kingdom Animal: facts for kids). Reptiles evolved from amphibians about 250 million years ago. They differ from amphibians in that their skin is scaly and the young are born resembling their parents.

From the time of their appearance on the Earth to about 70 million years ago, reptiles dominated the land. Some, the dinosaurs, grew to a great size. Others, the pterosaurs, flew in the air. But these creatures died out suddenly. Today, reptiles live on land and in water, and some, such as the giant crocodiles and snakes, grow as large as 30 feet. The smallest reptiles are lizards about two inches long.

Reptiles, facts for kids and adults
The green mamba lives mostly in trees. It is a poisonous snake with rigid fangs in the front of its mouth	A crocodile spends almost all of its life in the water. With its eyes and nostrils on top of its head it can remain almost entirely submerged, waiting for its prey. It usually only comes out of the water to lay its eggs - or to sunbathe

These animals are cold-blooded - their body temperature is the same as the temperature of their surroundings. For this reason, reptiles are not found in Polar Regions, where they would become too cold to survive. In tropical regions, they can often be seen sunning themselves, and then moving into the shade when they become too hot. In regions with cold winters, reptiles hibernate. Most reptiles lay leathery-shelled eggs, but a few bear living young.

There are four main groups or orders of living reptiles: the crocodiles and alligators; the turtles, tortoises, and terrapins; the lizards and snakes; and the tuatara. Crocodiles and alligators make up the order Crocodilia. This order also includes the caimans and gavials. They are all large animals with cigar-shaped bodies and long, powerful tails. Their jaws are lined with rows of sharp teeth. They live in fresh water or salt water in tropical regions around the world, feeding on animals such as fish, birds, and small mammals. (See Crocodile and alligator comparison)

Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins make up the order Chelonia. The use of these names varies from country to country. What some call a tortoise or terrapin, others may call a turtle. But they all have two protecting shells, between which four legs and a head protrude. They live in fresh and salt water and on land in the warmer regions of the world. Most of the land animals eat only plants, whereas the aquatic animals are generally carnivorous (flesh-eating).

Reptiles, facts for kids and adults
The famous Australian frilled lizard has a fold of loose skin around its shoulders which it erects when cornered, to make itself look ferocious enough to scare away its enemies	Although most terrapins have fairly flat shells, some, like this matamata, have distinctively patterned shells

Lizards and snakes form the order Squamata. Most lizards, as fact, have four legs, whereas snakes have no legs. Some lizards are without legs, but differ from snakes in that they have movable eyelids and external ears. And they do not possess the snake's deeply forked tongue. Lizards and snakes are found in temperate as well as warm regions. They vary greatly in size and range from lizards of two inches long to snakes of 30 feet.

The tuatara resembles a spiny lizard, but the structure of its skull is different from that of a lizard. It is two feet long, and lives on a few islands off the coast of New Zealand. The remarkable thing about the tuatara is that it is the only surviving member of the order Rhyncliocephalia, which originated about 200 million years ago. More facts about reptiles you can find at this page, for example 

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