General Characters of Reptiles and Classification up to order
General Characters of Reptiles
2. They are carnivorous, some are herbivorous.
3. They are the cold blooded animal (Ectothermic or heliothermic Gk. Helios= sun).
4. Skin is dry and without any gland except femoral gland in male lizzards.
5. Skin is covered with dry scales, spines, scutes or plates.
6. Tetrapod and pentaductile.
7. In lower reptile heart is incomplete four chambered and in higher reptile (Crocodile) complete
four chambered.
8. Respiration by lungs.
9. Presence of cloaca.
10. Vertebrae are procelus.
11. RBCs are nucleated.
12. Presence of 12 pair of cranial nerve.
13. They are generally oviparous, some are ovi-viviparous.
14. Fertilization is internal.
Ex. Chameleon, gecko, cobra, turtle, snakes, crocodile, etc.
1. It is lizard like animal measures about 60 cm. long.
2. This animal remain unchanged since evolved about 200 million year hence called living fossil. .
3. It is medium sized reptile also called as tuatara.
4. It found only on few island surrounding New Zealand.
5. The colour of body is olive green or brown in colour with white or yellow spots.
6. Body covered with scales.
7. Presence of mid-dorsal crest of spine.
8. Spines are absent on neck.
9. Horn of scale present on head.
10. Snout is beak like.
11. Limbs are pentadactyle.
12. Sphenodon has third eye present on top of the head between eyes.
13. Presence of two rows of teeth in bucal cavity.
14. It is nocturnal animal and burrowing in habitat.
15. Hibernate (Winter Sleep) during winter.
16. It is carnivorous.
17. Female lay dozen of eggs in to the dig burrow.
1. Body more or less is elliptical and dorso-ventrally flattened.
2. limbs are weak and pentaductile. In some marine forms limbs are modified into paddles.
3. Dorsally body is covered with plates, plastron or polygonal scutes or leathery skin.
4. Neck, limbs and tails are retractile.
5. Tail is very short.
6. In adults teeth are absent and are replaced by horny plates.
7. Copulatory organ in male attached to ventral wall of colaca.
8. These are oviparous animals.
9. Regular hibernation occurs in temperate region.
10. In the skull, quadrate bone is immovably articulated.
11 Cold blooded animal
11. Ribs and thoracic vertebrae are usually fused with carapace.
12. Pelvic girdle consists of ilium, ischium and pubis.
13. Pectoral girdle composed of scapula, pro-coracoid and coracoid bones.
14 Oviparous animal
15. Fertilization is internal
16 Eggs are laid into dug in sand.
17 Presence of 12 pair of cranial nerves.
Ex. Green turtle, Testudo, indian soft shell turtle etc.
Order — Squamata (Latin, sqamatus = scaly):
1. They are cold blooded animals
2. They are terestrial burrowing and arborial in habit.
3. They lives under the rock or beneath the stone, or burrow of other animals.
4. They are carnivorus, insectivorus.
5. Body is covered with dry skin.
6. Presence of Scale on body.
7. Body is divisible into head, neck, trunk and tail.
8. Tail is long.
9. Presence of nectitating memberane.
10. Eye lids are movable and in organism they are immovable (Snakes).
11. Tongue is protrucible, long, sticky, bifid in some animals (Snake)
12. Hibernation is occure.
13. Exretary product is uric acid.
14. Limbs are pentaductile. in some organism limbs are absent (Snake)
15 RBC are ovel, nucleted.
16. Herat is of incomplete 4 chambers.
17. Vertebrae are pro-coelus
18. Fertilization is internal
19. Oviparous (Lizard, gecko, Chamelion) or ovi-viviparous (Viper)
20. Eeggs laid on ground, cracks, or burrow of other animals. king cobra build the nest.
Class Reptiles includes about 8000 to 8200 living species are found all over the world. It includes snakes and lizards. The animals from class reptile are placed in 4 orders as given in table below:
Sr. No.
|
Order
|
Examples
|
1
|
Rhynchocephalia
|
Sphenodon (Living fossil)
|
2
|
Squamata
|
Lizards ( wall lizard (Gecko), flying lizard (flying dragon), Varanus, Chameleon, etc.
Snakes (Cobra, King cobra, Krait, Viper (Pit viper, Pitless viper) Rat snake, Python etc.
|
3
|
Chelonia
|
Turtles, Tortoises, Terrapins, Tryonix, Green turtle, etc.
|
4
|
Crocodilia
|
Crocodiles, Alligators, Caimans, Gharials
|
1. Reptiles are terrestrial or aquatic.
2. They are carnivorous, some are herbivorous.
3. They are the cold blooded animal (Ectothermic or heliothermic Gk. Helios= sun).
4. Skin is dry and without any gland except femoral gland in male lizzards.
5. Skin is covered with dry scales, spines, scutes or plates.
6. Tetrapod and pentaductile.
7. In lower reptile heart is incomplete four chambered and in higher reptile (Crocodile) complete
four chambered.
8. Respiration by lungs.
9. Presence of cloaca.
10. Vertebrae are procelus.
11. RBCs are nucleated.
12. Presence of 12 pair of cranial nerve.
13. They are generally oviparous, some are ovi-viviparous.
14. Fertilization is internal.
Ex. Chameleon, gecko, cobra, turtle, snakes, crocodile, etc.
Order — Rhynchocephalia (Gk., Rhynchos = a beak/snout; Kephale = a head).
General characters:
1. It is lizard like animal measures about 60 cm. long.
2. This animal remain unchanged since evolved about 200 million year hence called living fossil. .
3. It is medium sized reptile also called as tuatara.
4. It found only on few island surrounding New Zealand.
5. The colour of body is olive green or brown in colour with white or yellow spots.
6. Body covered with scales.
7. Presence of mid-dorsal crest of spine.
8. Spines are absent on neck.
9. Horn of scale present on head.
10. Snout is beak like.
11. Limbs are pentadactyle.
12. Sphenodon has third eye present on top of the head between eyes.
13. Presence of two rows of teeth in bucal cavity.
14. It is nocturnal animal and burrowing in habitat.
15. Hibernate (Winter Sleep) during winter.
16. It is carnivorous.
17. Female lay dozen of eggs in to the dig burrow.
Ex. Sphenodon:
Order — Chelonia (Gk. Chelone = a tortoise):
General characters: 1. Body more or less is elliptical and dorso-ventrally flattened.
2. limbs are weak and pentaductile. In some marine forms limbs are modified into paddles.
3. Dorsally body is covered with plates, plastron or polygonal scutes or leathery skin.
4. Neck, limbs and tails are retractile.
5. Tail is very short.
6. In adults teeth are absent and are replaced by horny plates.
7. Copulatory organ in male attached to ventral wall of colaca.
8. These are oviparous animals.
9. Regular hibernation occurs in temperate region.
10. In the skull, quadrate bone is immovably articulated.
11 Cold blooded animal
11. Ribs and thoracic vertebrae are usually fused with carapace.
12. Pelvic girdle consists of ilium, ischium and pubis.
13. Pectoral girdle composed of scapula, pro-coracoid and coracoid bones.
14 Oviparous animal
15. Fertilization is internal
16 Eggs are laid into dug in sand.
17 Presence of 12 pair of cranial nerves.
Ex. Green turtle, Testudo, indian soft shell turtle etc.
Order — Squamata (Latin, sqamatus = scaly):
1. They are cold blooded animals
2. They are terestrial burrowing and arborial in habit.
3. They lives under the rock or beneath the stone, or burrow of other animals.
4. They are carnivorus, insectivorus.
5. Body is covered with dry skin.
6. Presence of Scale on body.
7. Body is divisible into head, neck, trunk and tail.
8. Tail is long.
9. Presence of nectitating memberane.
10. Eye lids are movable and in organism they are immovable (Snakes).
11. Tongue is protrucible, long, sticky, bifid in some animals (Snake)
12. Hibernation is occure.
13. Exretary product is uric acid.
14. Limbs are pentaductile. in some organism limbs are absent (Snake)
15 RBC are ovel, nucleted.
16. Herat is of incomplete 4 chambers.
17. Vertebrae are pro-coelus
18. Fertilization is internal
19. Oviparous (Lizard, gecko, Chamelion) or ovi-viviparous (Viper)
20. Eeggs laid on ground, cracks, or burrow of other animals. king cobra build the nest.
Order — Crocodilia/Loricata (Latin: Crocodilus = a crocodile; Loricatus = clad in nail):
Ex. Crocodile
Ex. Crocodile
General characters:
1. Crocodiles are sem-aquatic predator found in feshwater, salt water etc.
2. They are carnivorous.
3. They cold blooded.
4. Respiration by Lung
4. Presence of power full limb with jaws.
5. Eyes and nostril are positioned on top of the head.
6. Tail is massive and muscular.
7. Dorsal side of body is covered with protective plates.
8. Four chambered heart.
9. Fertilization is internal.
10 Presence of 12 pair of cranial nerve
10. Oviparous animal.
11 Female lays eggs on ground in nest near water out of vegetation and
2. They are carnivorous.
3. They cold blooded.
4. Respiration by Lung
4. Presence of power full limb with jaws.
5. Eyes and nostril are positioned on top of the head.
6. Tail is massive and muscular.
7. Dorsal side of body is covered with protective plates.
8. Four chambered heart.
9. Fertilization is internal.
10 Presence of 12 pair of cranial nerve
10. Oviparous animal.
11 Female lays eggs on ground in nest near water out of vegetation and
mud.
12. In adult extensive parental care about young.
12. In adult extensive parental care about young.
Ex. Crocodile
