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Class:- Reptilia
It
is fairly well known that reptiles are closely related to the ‘Dinosaur Era’
going back millions of years. The Old World Reptiles, namely tortoises
& crocodiles, are believed to be the closest
living reptiles to these dinosaurs Reptiles
managed to survive because of supreme survival skills and adaptations developed
through evolution. One particular attribute for snakes & crocodiles is
ambush. They can often approach prey without them having any idea of the
presence of a predator. One very prominent feature of reptile survival is that
they are “cold-blooded”. The
term “cold-blooded” is technically incorrect. Many other words are used, but
the most commonly and accepted term is “ectothermic”. The word
originates from the Greek works ectos (outside) and therme
(heat), translating directly to “outside heat”. Reptiles are
not truly cold-blooded like most fish, as the body temperature varies greatly
depending on the environmental conditions. When a reptile is at its most active
(most likely after basking) the body temperature is often higher than that of
mammals. Mammals have to eat the entire time or very regularly in order to
survive, as only about 10-20% of the food intake is used for growth &
condition, while the rest (80-90%) goes to heat generation. Reptiles do not
require this additional food, enabling them to eat far less regularly. It is
possible for a reptile to survive only eating a few times a year, which for most
species can be as low as half a dozen times. Pythons in captivity have been
known to last a year without a meal. A hatchling egg eater can survive for about
a year and still grow in that time, using only the egg yolk absorbed at
hatching. Lizards, chameleons & tortoises do need to eat more regularly than
snakes, monitors or crocodiles, but they can go for much longer periods than
mammals of the equivalent size. All
reptiles have four legs with the exclusion of snakes, and the majority are
insectivorous, lay eggs and have scale covering on their bodies. Scales also aid
in reptile survival. There is less water loss because there are few to no
glands, i.e. they do not sweat. Reptiles are thus less dependant on water. All
reptiles never stop growing, even though when adult, it is greatly slowed.
Reptile Classification: Reptiles are classified as shown in the table below. This system was developed to allow scientists to see the relationships between various species and groups.
Scientific Name
Classifications Class – Reptilia
Reptiles Order – Squamata / Lepidosauria
Scaled Reptiles Sub-order – Serpentes (Ophidia)
Snakes Family –Viperidae
Vipers, Adders & Pit Vipers Sub-Family –Viperinae
African Vipers & Adders Genus –Bitis
Adder Species –Gabonica
Gaboon Sub-Species –gabonica
Gaboon Bitis gabonica gabonica – East African Gaboon Viper
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