Reptiles

Maria is in the jungle with a guide, learning about the animals that live there. They’ve already seen a lizard, a gecko and a chameleon. Maria is hoping to see a snake too, and maybe even a crocodile, or a turtle, when they get to the river. Even though all these animals look very different from each other, they have a lot in common! So much that we group them together into the same class of animals - REPTILES.

Let’s look at the characteristics that make them all reptiles! All reptiles have a backbone, which makes them all vertebrates. They are all cold-blooded, which means that they can’t regulate their own body temperature. They rely on their environment to keep warm or cool enough to survive. This is why you can often see them sunbathing!

Reptiles all breathe with lungs, all have tails, and all have four legs. Snakes are an exception: they are legless. But they did evolve from animals that had four legs, millions of years ago. The skin of reptiles is covered with scales, which protect them from injuries, and from drying out. Finally, there is one more feature that the majority of reptiles have in common.

Female reptiles lay eggs! The eggs are covered with a leathery shell. This protects the young reptiles and creates a perfect environment for them to develop in. After a couple of months, the young reptiles hatch from the eggs, looking like miniature versions of their parents! But Maria’s guide is worried.

He says that the nearby city wants to expand, and build a road through the jungle, which would destroy the home of the reptiles, and many other animals. He tells Maria that this is happening in many places where reptiles live. This makes Maria quite upset. But she is determined to tell everyone she knows how interesting reptiles are, and how we should all help protect their natural habitats!