Reptilia

These were the first class of organisms to adapt to life on land. They are believed to have evolved from the amphibians millions of years ago. There are about 10000 different species of reptiles on earth. They are cold-blooded animals belonging to the phylum Chordata of Animal kingdom.

The skull of the reptiles is modified that gives the reptiles an efficient and powerful jaw action. The modification also makes the skull light.

Characteristics of Reptilia

Following are the important characteristics of the animals belonging to Class Reptilia:

These are creeping and burrowing terrestrial animals with scales on their body.

They are cold-blooded animals found in most of the warmer regions of the world.

Their skin is dry, and rough, without any glands.

The body is divided into head, neck, trunk, and tail.

Few of these shed the scales on their skin as skin cast.

The respiration takes place with the help of the lungs.

The skull is monocondylic.

They have two pairs of pentadactyl limbs, each bearing claws. Snakes are an exception.

The heart is 3 chambered. However, crocodiles have a 4-chambered heart.

The nervous system comprises of 12 pairs of cranial nerves.

The lateral line system is absent in reptiles.

Except for snakes, all the reptiles have well-developed ears.

They possess a typical cloaca.

Reptiles are ureotelic, uricotelic, and ammonotelic.

Fertilization is internal.

They exhibit a meroblastic segmentation.

They are oviparous and the eggs are very yolky.

Eg., Snakes, Turtles, Lizards, Crocodiles

Also Read: Animal Kingdom

Classification of Reptilia

The class Reptilia is differentiated into two major sub-classes:

Anapsida

Parapsida

Diapsida

Anapsida

The dermal bones form a complete roof over the skull with no temporal fossae.

These are sub-divided into Cotylosauria and Chelonia.

Modern chelonians are classified according to the method of retracting the head in the shell.

Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins belong to this group.

Parapsida

These reptiles possess one temporal fossa present high up on the skull.

Protosaurs, Nothosaurs, Placodonts showed this type of skull.

The two largest groups among these were- Ichthyosaurs and Plesiosaurus. These became extinct at the end of the Cretaceous period when several other reptiles including dinosaurs died.

Diapsida

There are two temporal vacuities in the skull.

They are diverse of all reptiles.

The dinosaurs and pterosaurs are included in this group.

These are divided into two major groups- Archosauria and Lepidosauria.

Eg., Crocodilus, Chameleon

Groups of Reptiles

The class Reptilia is further divided into different groups known as orders:

Order

Examples

Order Squamata

Lizards, Snakes

Order Testudines

Turtles, Tortoises, Terrapins

Order Crocodilia

Crocodiles, Alligators

Order Sphenodontia

Tuataras

Extinct groups of class Reptilia

Ichthyopterygia

Lepidosauria

Archosauria

Synapsida

свернуть