Types of Reptiles & Amphibians
Amphibians and reptiles are two types of animals that are often confused. Amphibians start their lives in water and eventually are able to live and breathe both on land and in water. Reptiles, however, must have air to breathe, since they only have lungs. Knowing the types of amphibians and reptiles will help you better identify them when you see them.
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Frogs and Toads
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Toads are actually a type of frog. Frogs and toads are among the most commonly recognized amphibians. They start their lives as jelly-covered eggs in water that hatch into tadpoles. Tadpoles then go through a metamorphism, growing legs and losing their tails, until they are frogs and toads that can live in or out of water. According to Nature Haven, toads are actually members of the frog family, but have larger bodies and bumpy skin. They also tend to prefer drier environments than frogs.
Salamanders
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A salamander is often confused with a lizard. Salamanders are a type of amphibian. Like frogs and toads, they lay their eggs in water. They can also breathe through their skin, their lungs or their gills. Unlike frogs and toads, they have tails that do not disappear as they grow. According to Nature Haven, salamanders are often mistaken for lizards; however, their skin is moist and not scaly like a lizard's. Part of the salamander family are newts and sirens. Newt refers to a small type of salamander and sirens are salamanders with no back legs.
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Crocodilian
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A crocodile has a long, thin snout. Crocodilians are reptiles. The crocodilian family is made up of two subfamilies: crocodiles and alligators. According to Pet Place, you can tell the difference between the two by their snouts: Alligators have a broad, U-shaped nose, while crocodiles have long, thin V-shaped noses. Unlike most reptiles, which have hearts with only three chambers, the alligator and the crocodile have hearts with four chambers, just like birds and mammals.
Lizards
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Lizards can vary in size from vary small to vary large. Lizards are another type of reptile. They vary in size from very small, like the miniature dwarf gecko, to very large, like the komodo dragon. According to Greenwala News, a new species of lizard was found in the Philippines in March 2010 that is as long as an adult man is tall. Some lizards eat meat, insects and fish, while others eat only plant life. Lizards look much like salamanders and newts but are generally larger and have rough, scaly skin.
Turtles
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Turtles spend a lot of time in the water. Another recognizable reptile is the turtle. Turtles can live in fresh or saltwater and vary in size from very small to very large. Although turtles spend a lot of time in the water, they breathe air with lungs. They have four legs and hard shells. They leg eggs in nests which hatch into little versions of the adults. Although there are many types that are kept as pets, not all turtles are pet friendly. The alligator snapping turtle, which is the largest turtle found in freshwater, has extremely powerful jaws and is too large to keep as a pet, although they can often be seen in zoos.
Snakes
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Some snakes are venemous, but most are not. Snakes are the member of reptile group that do not have legs. These cold-blooded creatures have long, slender bodies that they wiggle to move around. Like other reptiles, snakes shed skin to make room for their body growth. According to Snake Cell, snakes are among the most feared and most misunderstood animals around. Most snakes are skittish and avoid human contact whenever possible. Although there are venomous species of snakes, there are many more nonvenomous varieties. One of the common features associated with snakes is their tongues. A snake uses its tongue as a way of smelling the world around them.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit the stare of the red eye image by Mat Hayward from Fotolia.com frog or toad image by asmik from Fotolia.com salamander image by Wojciech Gajda from Fotolia.com Baby crocodile. Crocodile farm, Thailand. image by diter from Fotolia.com lizard image by John Hofboer from Fotolia.com Turtle image by Michael Bird from Fotolia.com snake image by pearlguy from Fotolia.com
