The Importance of Reptiles
There are four main groups (called orders) of reptiles: crocodiles, alligators and their relatives (25 species); snakes and lizards (7,000 species); turtles and tortoises (300 species); and lizard-like tuataras (2 species). Typical reptile characteristics include epidermal scales or hard bony plates on the skin; eggs protected by a tough, leathery shell; lungs, not gills; no larval young; body temperature maintained primarily through behavioral mechanisms. They are land-dwellers although some (sea turtles, alligators) may spend most of their lives in the water. Reptiles are primarily carnivorous, but some are plant-eaters, such as iguanas, chuckwalla lizards and tortoises. They are an important component of life on earth.
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Ecological Importance
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Snakes are important in rodent control. Reptile predators are important in keeping rapidly reproducing rodents in check in many parts of the world. Insect-eating reptiles like lizards help keep insect populations in control. Horned lizards eat nothing but ants, for example. Some snakes and lizards only eat other snakes and lizards, such as the coral snake. Fresh-water turtles are important scavengers, eating dead or dying aquatic animals (Reference 9). Reptiles are important at all levels of the food chain.
Human Uses
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Iguanas are favored food in much of Latin America. People have long used reptiles in several fashions. Reptiles are popular pets in some areas, but food in others. Iguanas are eaten in Mexico and Central and South America. Sea turtles and their eggs are eaten worldwide and some species have been hunted for meat almost to extinction. Snakes are eaten in much of Asia. Alligators are eaten in the American South and Australia. Articles made of tortoise shell, which is the shell of the hawksbill sea turtle, have been highly prized. Hawksbills were put on the endangered species list in 1970. Leather made from alligators, crocodiles and larger snakes and lizards is prized for boots, belts, purses and garments. Human exploitation of reptiles is now recognized as detrimental to both the wild species involved and the habitats of the reptiles. So farming of reptiles for food and leather and captive breeding of reptiles for pets are considered good conservation measures.
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Symbols and Myths
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The Plumed Serpent, Quetzalcoatl, was an important Aztec deity. Snakes especially have figured prominently in myths, legends and religions around the world. The snake in the Garden of Eden personifies evil. In many cultures snakes link to rainbows and are related to rain and fertility. Because they shed their skins periodically, they often represent rebirth. Serpents are world creators in some African, Australian and Native American cultures. The serpent-like Nagas of Hinduism and Buddhism live underground and can be either good or cruel. Alligator-like monsters appear in some world religions in areas where alligators are native.
Indicators of Animal Relationships
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The tuatara is not a lizard but resembles one. Reptiles give important anatomical and physiological clues to the interrelationships of animals, both living and prehistoric. New Zealand's tuataras have a small eye on top of their heads which connects with the pineal gland. They are literally living fossils, providing a link to extinct reptiles. Fossil reptiles, the dinosaurs and their relatives, give evidence that links present-day birds and reptiles.
Medical Importance
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Rattlesnakes inject venom through two hypodermic-like fangs on the top jaw. Many kinds of venomous snakes exist, as well as two kinds of venomous lizards. These cause medical problems for people bitten by them. Venom can attack body tissues and break them down, in effect acting like a sort of predigestion; the other kind of reptile poison affects the nervous system, disabling the animal so it can be safely swallowed. Some snakes, like rattlesnakes and cobras, have both components in their venom. The most dangerous snakes are those that have neurotoxic venom because it acts very quickly, giving little chance for medical intervention before death occurs. Conversely, a new diabetes treatment drug called Byetta has been developed from the venom of the Gila Monster, a venomous lizard inhabiting the American Southwest.
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References
- Photo Credit alligator,gator,gators,paynes prairie,gainesville, image by Earl Robbins from Fotolia.com unlucky mouse image by Kevkel from Fotolia.com IGUANE image by MEGA from Fotolia.com quetzalcoalt image by Ploum1 from Fotolia.com tuatara image by Undy from Fotolia.com rattlesnake image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com
