Aussie Reptiles (lecture 4)

Question 1

taxonomics

Answer 1

“who is who”

-reptiles second most diverse after birds

Question 2

4 orders of reptiles

Answer 2

• crocodiles
• turtles
• squamates (snakes and lizards)
• tuataras

Question 3

squamates

Answer 3

• shows the greatest diversity among reptile species
• lizard diversity is in climate in Australia
• major representation of Australian fauna

Question 4

phylogenetics def:

Answer 4

• is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms
• diversification and where you end up with like minded species

Question 5

phylogenetics

Answer 5

-a tree

• the further you go along the x axis show the relatedness
• y axis this that are closer together have similar evolutionary time

Question 6

ancestral trait

Answer 6

-share traits with common ancestor

Question 7

derived trait

Answer 7

-singular present trait that differentiate species

Question 8

monophyletic

Answer 8

• single origin

- all mammals are

Question 9

polyph

Answer 9

• multiple ancestral origin leading to present day form

- reptiles

Question 10

phylogeny

Answer 10

• used physical traits to determine relationship between species
• changes over time
• as the system of relationship has evolved so has the phylogeny
• help understand the major evolutionary trajectory

Question 11

crocodiles

Answer 11

• 2 species of crocodiles
• salt and freshwater
• haven’t change very much
• independent of dinosaurs
• heavily armoured body, long jaws, streamlined body, long tail
• aquatic predators
• pantropical distribution except in Africa
• most crocodiles have returned to the aquatic environment and have become smaller over the yrs.

Question 12

crocodilus johnstoni(freshwater)

Answer 12

• live in the inland rivers and coast of queensland
• very shy
• inquisitive animals

Question 13

crocodylus porosus (saltwater)

Answer 13

• extensively harvested in the 60s and 70s
• protected through legislation
• moved further and further inland to freshwater waterholes
• more than 5m long
• sit and wait predators
• people taken in the northern territory
• over 1k kg
• stash food in underground meat larva in water until hungry
• restricted to estuarine

Question 14

turtles

Answer 14

• Australia has freshwater turtles
• have aquatic webbing for propulsion
• 24 species of longneck turtle (chelida)
• prized food in Northern Australia

Question 15

family carettochelydidae

Answer 15

• pitted shell turtle
• endemic to certain rivers in the Northern territory and New Guinea
• quite aquatic with nostrils

Question 16

family chelida

Answer 16

• side-necked turtles
• produce stink secretion
• Gondwanan
• 7 genera
• 24+ species

Question 17

family cheloniidae

Answer 17

-hard shell turtle
ex.
logggerhead turtle
green turtle
hawksbill turtle
pacific ridley
flatback turtle

Question 18

family dermochelyidae

Answer 18

• leather back turtle
• 1 genus/species
• in much cooler water
• exchange muscle for increase in body heat
• range distribution is a big larger than other turtles

Question 19

lizards

Answer 19

• over 600 species, more than any other country in the world
• endemic radiation
• 4 species
  1. geckos
  2. skinks
  3. dragons
  4. goannas

Question 20

Geckos

Answer 20

• things that run up the wall and make funny noises
• major group (20 genera, over 150 species)
• almost exclusively nocturnal
• 15% of total reptile diversity
• exploits dropping tail (tailatonomy) through fracture planes in vertebrates
• store fat and water in tails
• squeak for communication (alarm calls and signaling territory)
• have sticky feet-heads of feet enables adhesion
• 4 major families

Question 21

Skinks

Answer 21

• most diverse group
• make up 25-30% of lizard diversity
• most common genus and family
• 365 species in Australia, 35 genera
• Vi
• live in the substrate they acquire
• major role on soil turnover and leaflet breakdown
• feed in small insects
• vary in color
• similar mythology
• blue-tongue is a defense mechanism to confuse predators
• high diversity or variation of skinks in Australian desert
• various level of limb reduction to get through the sand
• front legs then hinf

Question 22

Dragons

Answer 22

• recent invasion
• common in Africa and southeast asia
• enter Australia 30 mya
• not specio
• 65 specie
• fast moving and sun loving
• incredibly complex social display
• complex in communication

Question 23

Goannas

Answer 23

-70 or 80 species
-3rd major group
corruption of the ord iguana
-recent to Australia (30 mya)
-1 genius/27 species
-most energetic reptiles
-related to the Komodo dragon
-high metabolic rate
-very active predators
-arboreal
-very diverse
-located in forest and on rock s
-very prolific predators, very active
-all related to giant lizard
-most diverse predator

Question 24

Goanas and Snakes

Answer 24

forked tongue-incredible sensory organ 
ritualize male combat
 -establish dominance
 -dominant creature pretends to scratch the back of the inferior creature 
-classic ex. of convergence evolution

Question 25

convergence evolution

Answer 25

-animals evolve with similar traits but come from different ancestors

Question 26

snakes

Answer 26

• nonvenomous second most diverse
• single common ancestor
• extremely divers
• many family of snale
• python diversity occurs with the climate
• very large
• focus on vertebrate prey
• use infrared to capture prey

Question 27

Elapidae

Answer 27

• very poisonous
• 80 species, 20 genera
• recent radiation
• radiates in all habitats in Australia
• rich in desert
• extremely diverse group in Australia
• prey on invertebrates
• front-fanged venomous snakes