Reptiles (NON-AVIAN)

Question 1

What are the three species of non-avian reptiles?

Answer 1

1. turtles
2. crocodilians
3. squamates

Question 2

What are overall characteristics of reptiles?

Answer 2

• they are ectotherms —> rely upon environmental heat to maintain appropriate temperature and not on internal metabolism..
• they have behavioural control of body temperature –> only need 10% of calories required by mammal of similar size

Question 3

What are some characteristics of turtles and tortoises?

Answer 3

• they have body dorsal and ventral shields
• they are anapsids so they don’t have a hole for their jaws and only have 2 for their eyes
• can withdraw head inside of their carapace and turn int into a “S” shape
• they are mainly freshwater, terrestrial and marine
• males have intermittent organs for direct copulation –> they have penises
• can be herbivores and carnivores

Question 4

What are some characteristics of the subgroup Tuataras

Answer 4

• they have teeth fused into their jaw bones
• they copulate but lack intromittant organs
• look like lizards but lack modified jaw and male genitalia

Question 5

What are Squamata? what species do they include?

Answer 5

• most species rich group of non-avian reptiles… includes lizards and snakes

Question 6

what are squamata characterized by?

Answer 6

1. loosely jointed jaws and skull

- paired hemipenes in males (two penises)

Question 7

What is the difference between some features of lizards and snakes?

Answer 7

• lizards have external ear openings, snakes don’t
  lizards have well-developed limbs
• snakes have no obvious limbs but theres skeletal remains from ancestral species
• lizards are mostly predators of insects and small vertebrates
• snakes are all predatory .. they kill via suffocation and venom
• most lizards just bite and swallow and don’t chew

Question 8

How can you tell the difference between a croc and an alligator?

Answer 8

• crocodiles have more teeth and their upper jaw is more narrow while alligators upper and lower jaws are the same size

Question 9

What is so interesting about the phylogeny of crocodiles?

Answer 9

• they are the closest living species to birds

Question 10

What are some characteristics of the species crocodila

Answer 10

• they can walk on land and gallop for brief distances
• males have single intermittent organ
• material care is present –> guarding nest… crying young in mouth…etc…

Question 11

What are some economic importance of non-avian reptiles?

Answer 11

the turtle flesh, eggs and shells are harvested
- some crocodiles are farmed for skin and eaten
many lizards and snakes are kept as pets or in zoos
- venom in snakes can kill humans so we make antivenom from snakes to counteract a snake bite