reptile

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reptiles

a kind of animal – air-breathing with lungs – cold-blooded (= body temperature changes depending on the weather condition, so external heating, such as the ‘sun’s heat’ needed to maintain the body temperature; the advanced name for ‘cold-blooded’ is “ectothermic”, and the animals with this feature are called “ectothermes”) – with a back-bone and internal skeleton (bones) – body covered with mostly scales or horny plates – mostly four-legged (some are without legs, such as snakes; and some are with very small legs), short legs with sharp claws placed on the side of the body so that the walking looks like crawling – mostly egg-laying (some  species give birth to live young babies) – mostly live on land (some species live in trees, and some others in water); size: (varies greatly) the smallest (tiny gecko) ¾ of an inch (0.6 inch/1.6 cm) long, and weight: 5 grams, lives for 3-4 years, and the largest (saltwater crocodile) 15-18 feet long, and weight: from 500 Kg. to 1 ton (1,000 Kg.), lives for about 70 years; feeds on (eats) — small reptiles mostly on insects, and large reptiles on insects, other small to big animals, birds and bird eggs, and other reptiles; about 8,000 species, found all over the world, except Antarctica