Introducing the Reptiles!
The family of reptiles is made up of turtles, lizards, snakes, different kinds of crocodiles, and a small group in Southeast Asia called tuataras. Some people think that snakes and lizards are slimy, but all reptiles are covered with dry, horny scales. These scales might be hard to notice for animals like the turtle, whose large scales (or plates) have grown together into one hard shell. Not only have the plates grown together, but the turtle's backbone has also grown into the shell!
All reptiles have to be really aware of how cold or hot they get, for their body temperature depends on the temperature of their surroundings. They spend much of their time doing two things: looking (or waiting) for food, and moving between sunny spots and shady (or wet) spots to warm up or cool off. If a reptile gets too warm, they can get very sick, and if it gets too cool, it is hard for the animal to have enough energy to move to a warmer spot. These warm spots are often the places that you find reptiles: turtles that come out of the water to sit on a rock or tree branch, and lizards that sit on a fence or sunny wall in order to catch the rays of the sun. Sometimes this search for warmth can dangerous, like the snakes that lie on a warm road at night.
Reptiles have some interesting ways to communicate with each other. People communicate by talking, and reptiles also make all kinds of noises to each other. Baby alligators start chirping just before they hatch from their egg, in order to tell their mother that it is time to dig them out of their dirt nest and bring them to the water. Male alligators can make an enormously loud bellowing noise, kind of like a big engine! They also raise their heads and slap the water loudly with their chins in order to chase other male alligators away. Lizards also chirp and bark at each other, and some male lizards nod to each other, bobbing their heads up and down vigorously. Snakes are generally silent, and use their tongues not to communicate but only to smell. However, a frightened snake will hiss or rattle to as a warning.
How do reptiles defend themselves when they are frightened? The biggest alligators don't have to defend themselves from anyone except man, but smaller alligators are defended by their mothers until they are more than a year old. Many lizards have tails that break off to let the lizard escape when it is in trouble, and another tail regrows later. One lizard even wiggles its tail, breaks it off himself, and the tail continues to wriggle for a few minutes to make the predator go after the tail rather than the lizard. Many frightened snakes will play dead until they think the threat has gone away. The Eastern Hognose snake is among the best at this playacting: when scared, it first flattens its head like a cobra and hisses loudly, then, if it needs to, rolls over, moves around as if it was wounded, sticks out its tongue, and plays dead.
These fun facts are just a glimpse into a whole world of fascinating behaviors and unusual animals in the reptile family. Find out more information about your favorite reptile at the local library, or on the Internet!
|
|
|
|
Dangerous Reptiles When people decide to buy reptiles for pets, some inevitably cross the line of safety and wisdom. Although ...
read more
Setting Up A Terrarium for Your Reptile A terrarium is similar to an aquarium except that it isn't full of ...
read more
Watch out for Reptiles! Reptiles seem more like creatures from another planet than any other animal, and snakes even more ...
read more
Gigantic Reptiles! Of all the reptiles, we are usually most interested in the largest ones - alligators, crocodiles, komodo dragons, ...
read more
Choosing A Vet for Your Reptile Carefully research your options for proper veterinary care before you decide to purchase a ...
read more
Searching for Small Reptiles Lizards are one of an interesting group of animals that you might not think about too ...
read more
A Lizard's Eye View of Life as a Reptile If you think of lizards at all, you think of those ...
read more
Learning about Reptiles Children often, at one time or another, will have an interest in learning about reptiles. Even if ...
read more
Reptile History Many people overlook that dinosaurs were reptiles, as are tortoises and turtles. Frogs are often lumped into the ...
read more
What Types of Lizards Make Good Reptile Pets? There is nothing wrong with wanting a reptile for a pet, provided ...
read more
Vacation With a Reptile! Are you fascinated with shows on TV that show wrestling, wrestling between man and alligator? Do ...
read more
Where to Buy a Reptile to Keep as a Pet Reptiles can be intimidating. They can also be great pets. ...
read more
Introducing the Reptiles! The family of reptiles is made up of turtles, lizards, snakes, different kinds of crocodiles, and a ...
read more
Rattlers - The Dangerous Reptiles! Snakes are probably the reptiles that fascinate and repel us the most. One of the ...
read more
Reptile Diseases Dangers exist when keeping reptiles as pets, but not just as bites and scratches. You can also contract ...
read more
Understanding Reptiles Did you think a frog is a reptile? Maybe it would help to learn the difference in reptiles ...
read more
A Day in the Life of a Fascinating Reptile, the Alligator Let's travel to Florida to meet one of the ...
read more
Reptile Accessories and Supplies Large reptiles need large cages or other enclosures. They will also need bedding, a water source, ...
read more
Safety With Reptiles Reptiles are animals to be respected. Many people think it's funny to irritate a reptile to get ...
read more
Snakes As Reptile Pets Most common snakes kept as pets in the reptile category are the corn snakes and the ...
read more
The Responsible Reptile Owner Many people think reptiles are cheap pets, easily accessible and easy to care for. However, after ...
read more
The Slow and Steady Reptile: the Turtle Of all the reptiles that can be found in an average neighborhood, turtles ...
read more
Reptiles Have Special Needs People have all kinds of different pets. Some people only feel safe with what is considered ...
read more
Raising a Reptile as a Pet You may have admired the unusual looking lizards at your local wildlife center, or ...
read more
Which Reptiles Do Not Make Good Pets? Basically, any reptile that is caught in the wild is discouraged for use ...
read more
|
|
Disclaimer
The Publisher has strived to be as accurate and complete as possible in the creation of this website, notwithstanding the fact that he does not warrant or represent at any time that the contents within are accurate due to the rapidly changing nature of the Internet.
This site is a common sense guide to Introducing the Reptiles!. In practical advice websites, like anything else in life, there are no guarantees of income made. Readers are cautioned to reply on their own judgment about their individual circumstances to act accordingly.
This site is not intended for use as a source of legal, business, accounting or financial advice. All readers are advised to seek services of competent professionals in legal, business, accounting, and finance field.
Any perceived slights of specific people or organizations are unintentional.
|
|
Dangerous Reptiles
Setting Up A Terrarium for Your Reptile
Watch out for Reptiles!
Gigantic Reptiles!
Choosing A Vet for Your Reptile
Searching for Small Reptiles
A Lizard's Eye View of Life as a Reptile
Learning about Reptiles
Reptile History
What Types of Lizards Make Good Reptile Pets?
Vacation With a Reptile!
Where to Buy a Reptile to Keep as a Pet
Introducing the Reptiles!
Rattlers - The Dangerous Reptiles!
Reptile Diseases
Understanding Reptiles
A Day in the Life of a Fascinating Reptile, the Alligator
Reptile Accessories and Supplies
Safety With Reptiles
Snakes As Reptile Pets
The Responsible Reptile Owner
The Slow and Steady Reptile: the Turtle
Reptiles Have Special Needs
Raising a Reptile as a Pet
Which Reptiles Do Not Make Good Pets?
| 