SEPT TRAILBLAZER- SCIENCE
Section 1
Read each question carefully. Choose the most suitable answer.
1.
Reptiles breathe through their ________.
A. lungs.
B. skin.
C. gills.
D. blowhole.
2. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a reptile?
A. Has no legs.
B. Usually lays eggs.
C. Has fur.
D. Has ear holes instead of ears.
3. Snakes are reptiles. Snakes are reptiles because they have the following reptile
characteristic except:
A. They have backbones.
B. They are cold-blooded.
C. They lay eggs.
D. They have venom.
4. The following organisms are reptiles, except:
A. Tortoise.
B. Turtle.
C. Terrapin.
D. Tapir.
5. Reptiles are cold- blooded. What does this mean?
A. Their blood and fluids inside the body are cold.
B. Their bodies react to the temperature of their surroundings.
C. Their scales feel cold the touch.
D. They live in water or cold places only.
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Section 2
Answer the questions in the spaces provided.
6. Study the picture below and answer the following questions.
a. The picture above is of a terrapin. What group does a terrapin belong to?
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b. State two characteristics of the terrapin that classifies it into the group in answer (a).
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c. Turtle and tortoises are categorized in the same group as the terrapin. What is the
difference between the turtle and the tortoise with relation to their habitat?
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d. Akachi bought a terrapin on his travel to Singapore. He brought it home to Africa and
took very good care of it. After several months though, the terrapin died. What could
have been the cause of its death?
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Answer Key
Section 1
1. A. lungs.
Tip: All reptiles breathe air through their lungs. They cannot breathe underwater.
2. C. Has fur.
Tip: Reptiles are covered in scales or have a bony external plate such as a shell. Scales
protect their bodies. Scales can be hard or soft, large or small.
3. D. They have venom.
Tip: Only a small percentage of snakes are poisonous. Many snakes are constrictors,
meaning that they squeeze their prey with their bodies until the animal is dead or immobile.
4. D. Tapir.
Tip: All turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are reptiles. Scientists often refer to them as chelonians,
from the Greek word for tortoise.
5. B. Their bodies react to the temperature of their surroundings.
Tip: Cold- blooded animals cannot regulate their own body heat, so they depend on warmth
from sunlight to become warm and active. If they get too hot, they have to find shade or a
burrow to help them cool down.
Section 2
6. a. Reptiles.
b. The terrapin is cold- blooded and has scales, which are the characteristics of reptiles.
c. Turtles live in water some or nearly all of the time and tortoises live on land.
d. Terrapins spend their time both on land and in water, but it always lives near water, along
rivers, ponds, and lakes. Terrapins are often found in brackish, swampy areas. Africa is
the hottest continent on Earth. The terrapin was probably unable to adapt to the hot
climate and the lack of a freshwater habitat.
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