LEC 7: Reptiles

Question 1

Characteristic Features [10]

Answer 1

1. they are terrestrial. body is covered in scales
2. Skin is dry, rough and has no glands
3. Body division - head, tail, body and neck.
4. Most have 4 limbs w claws except snakes
5. Exotherms
6. Have lungs for respiration.
7. 3 chambered hearts except crocodiles =4
8. Are uricotelic
9. internal fert
10. development is direct. no larval stage.

Question 2

How many subclasses are there?

Answer 2

3.

Question 3

What are the subclasses

Answer 3

Anapsida
Synapsida
Diapsida

Question 4

Animals in Anapsida?

Answer 4

Turtles, tortoises and terrapins

Question 5

Features of Anapsids

Answer 5

Have no teeth
Their skulls have no temporal openings.
They are the most primitive amniotes
Regarded as the ancestral stock from which vertebrates evolved from.

Question 6

Synapsid Features

Answer 6

They are extinct.
Skulls had an opening at the posterio-lateral roof of the skull behind each eye. These attached to the jaw muscles.

Question 7

Animals in Diapsida

Answer 7

Crocodiles
Lizards
Chameleon
Dinosaurs

Question 8

Features of Diapsids

Answer 8

They have two temporal openings behind each ear.

Question 9

Tortoise Features [4]

Answer 9

They are terrestrial
Body is covered in bony shell
Vary in size = 1.2m long
Slow moving

Question 10

Tortoise habitats

Answer 10

Deserts, arid grasslands, forests

Question 11

Tortoise Feeding

Answer 11

Herbivores

Question 12

Tortoise clutch size

Answer 12

20 eggs laid at night. they are left unattended.

Question 13

Turtles Habitats

Answer 13

Some are terrestrial, others are fully aquatic and some are semi-aquatic in FW and MW.

Question 14

Turtles Feeding

Answer 14

Aquatic ones = Carnivores
Terrestrial ones = Herbivores

Question 15

Turtles Clutch size

Answer 15

10-100 eggs laid on land/shallow waters.
Most don’t take care of their eggs

Question 16

Turtles Features

Answer 16

Bony shell with an upper domes carapace and lower flattened plastron.
Outer surface of shell is made of keratin

Question 17

Crocodiles Feeding

Answer 17

Carnivores

Question 18

Difference between crocs and alligators

Answer 18

Gators are less sensitive to cold.
Their teeth are less visible with their mouth closed

Question 19

Crocodile Habitat

Answer 19

FW. Some = MW

Question 20

Where are Crocodiles found?

Answer 20

Tropical Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia

Question 21

Composition of Lizard Skin

Answer 21

Overlapping keratinous scales that provide protection and reduce water loss

Question 22

Lizard Eggs?

Answer 22

Most = Oviparous
Some = viviparous
Laid in nests
300 day gestation period

Question 23

Chameleon feeding

Answer 23

Insectivores

Question 24

Chameleon eggs

Answer 24

Oviparous and ovoviviparous
Clutch size varies = up to 30 live young.
Eggs are pressed into branches where they stick until they hatch.

Question 25

Snake organs

Answer 25

The organs are paired. one in the front and one in the back. they are not side by side

Question 26

Snake eggs

Answer 26

Ovoviviparous - some