REPTILES
NAME _____________
Characteristics of Reptiles
1. All reptiles breathe with _________ and have ________ skin.
2. Reptiles are ___________, and most reptiles have ________.
3. Many reptiles have a muscular, sticky __________ for catching
insects.
4. Reptiles are ________________.
5. All reptiles reproduce through __________ fertilization.
6. Most reptiles lay ______ while a few keep their eggs inside their
body while the embryos are developing.
Reptiles can be divided into four major groups:
 ___________________
 ___________________
 ___________________
 ___________________
TURTLES AND TORTOISES
What do turtles and tortoises have in common?
Both have a ________ protective ________.
Both are ____________.
What are the differences between turtles and tortoises?
Characteristic
Habitat
Shape of Shell
Weight of Shell
Limbs
Lifespan
Diet
Turtles
Tortoises
What is the largest turtle? _____________________
What is the smallest tortoise? __________________
LIZARDS
Lizards are reptiles with slender __________, long _______, and
four ________. Most lizards eat insects by either catching it with
their sticky _________ or by lunging for it. Some lizards can
________ their tails to _________ from
predators. After it falls off, it will continue to
__________. Why do you think it does this?
______________________________________
______________
What is the smallest lizard? _____________________
What is the biggest lizard? _____________________
What is the weirdest ability for a reptile? _____________________
What is the only poisonous lizard? ________________
What is the fastest reptile? ____________________
Which reptile can change its color to match its
surroundings? _______________
What is the smallest chameleon?
__________________
SNAKES
There are over ________ different species of
snakes alive today. They live in a variety of land
and water habitats. But the largest snakes are
found in ____________________. Snakes are
found on every continent except
_______________. There are no snakes native to Hawaii, Iceland,
Ireland, or New Zealand. Snakes have long, narrow bodies and
__________ skin. They have no __________, no external ear
openings, and no _______. As they grow, snakes
______ their old skin and the film that covers
their eyes. Snakes are ____________ (meateaters). They eat rodents and other mammals,
birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects, and
eggs. Some snakes have patterns that allow them to _______ from
enemies or to hide until they can ________ their prey. Some snakes
are _____________ and kill (or paralyze) their prey by injecting
poison through hollow __________. Some snakes kill their prey by
___________ it to death. Snakes do not chew their food or even bite
it into pieces; snakes swallow their food _________.
Which snake is the biggest and heaviest? _____________________
What is the longest snake? ________________________________
Which is the fastest? ____________________________________
Which snakes are the most poisonous land snakes?
_____________________________________________________
ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES
Alligators are large, __________ reptiles that spend
a lot of their lives in the __________. They mostly
live in swamps, marshes, canals, and lakes. Alligators
swim very well, mainly using their _______ to propel
themselves through the water, and also using their
__________ feet. There are two types of alligators.
The ________ alligator which grows up to
_____ feet long, weighing up to 600 pounds
and the __________ alligator which grows
to be about _____ feet long. Alligators are
___________ and feed primarily at night. Adult gators eat fish,
birds, turtles, reptiles, and mammals. They swallow their prey
__________.
Alligators breed in the ________ and the female
lays up to _____ eggs in a large nest she
constructed of mud, leaves, and twigs on the dry
ground. The temperature of the nest determines
the sex of the hatchlings. If the eggs are
incubated over _______°F the embryos develop as ________; if the
temperature is below ______°F the embryos will be _______,
between these temperatures, ___________ are produced. The eggs
hatch in __________, producing babies about 6 inches long. The
group of babies, called a ______, are protected by the female for
about a _______. Alligators are among the most __________ of the
reptiles.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES
ALLIGATORS
Habitat
Jaw
Teeth
Skin
Temperament
Location
CROCODILES
KEY
NAME _____________
REPTILES
Characteristics of Reptiles
lungs
scaly
1. All reptiles breathe with _________
and have ________
skin.
vertebrates
teeth
2. Reptiles are ___________,
and most reptiles have ________.
tongue
3. Many reptiles have a muscular, sticky __________
for catching
insects.
4. Reptiles are ________________.
cold-blooded
internal
5. All reptiles reproduce through __________
fertilization.
6. Most reptiles lay ______
eggs while a few keep their eggs inside their
body while the embryos are developing.
Reptiles can be divided into four major groups:
 ___________________
Turtles and Tortoises
 ___________________
Lizards
 ___________________
Snakes
Alligators and Crocodiles
 ___________________
TURTLES AND TORTOISES
What do turtles and tortoises have in common?
hard
shell
Both have a ________
protective ________.
egg layers
Both are ____________.
What are the differences between turtles and tortoises?
Characteristic
Habitat
Shape of Shell
Weight of Shell
Limbs
Lifespan
Diet
Turtles
Tortoises
Lives in water
Lives on land
Flat, streamlined
Light weight
Webbed feet
Large dome shape
Heavier
Feet are short and sturdy, claws
20-40 years
80-150 years
Omnivores
Herbivores
The leatherback turtle
What is the largest turtle? _____________________
What is the smallest tortoise? __________________
The speckled padloper tortoise
LIZARDS
Lizards are reptiles with slender __________,
bodies
long _______,
tails
and
four ________.
legs
Most lizards eat insects by either catching it with
tongues or by lunging for it. Some lizards can
their sticky _________
detach their tails to _________
escape
________
from
predators. After it falls off, it will continue to
__________.
Why do you think it does this?
wiggle
The predator may be distracted by the wiggling
______________________________________
______________________________________
tail so the lizard can escape.
The British Virgin Island Gecko
What is the smallest lizard? _____________________
The Komodo Dragon
What is the biggest lizard? _____________________
Spraying blood from their eyes.
What is the weirdest ability for a reptile? _____________________
The Gila Monster
What is the only poisonous lizard? ________________
What is the fastest reptile? ____________________
The Spiny-tailed Iguana
Which reptile can change its color to match its
Chameleon
surroundings? _______________
What is the smallest chameleon?
The Brookesia Minima
__________________
SNAKES
There are over ________
2,000 different species of
snakes alive today. They live in a variety of land
and water habitats. But the largest snakes are
found in ____________________.
Snakes are
tropical rainforests
found on every continent except
_______________.
There are no snakes native to Hawaii, Iceland,
Antarctica
Ireland, or New Zealand. Snakes have long, narrow bodies and
__________
skin. They have no __________,
no external ear
scaly
eyelids
openings, and no _______.
As they grow, snakes
legs
______
shed their old skin and the film that covers
their eyes. Snakes are ____________
(meatcarnivores
eaters). They eat rodents and other mammals,
birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, insects, and
eggs. Some snakes have patterns that allow them to _______
from
hide
enemies or to hide until they can ________
capture their prey. Some snakes
are _____________
and kill (or paralyze) their prey by injecting
venomous
poison through hollow __________.
Some snakes kill their prey by
fangs
___________
it to death. Snakes do not chew their food or even bite
squeezing
it into pieces; snakes swallow their food _________.
whole
Anaconda
Which snake is the biggest and heaviest? _____________________
Reticulated Python
What is the longest snake? ________________________________
Which is the fastest? ____________________________________
Black Mamba
Which snakes are the most poisonous land snakes?
_____________________________________________________
The taipan, black mamba, and krait.
ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES
Alligators are large, __________
meat-eating reptiles that spend
a lot of their lives in the __________.
They mostly
water
live in swamps, marshes, canals, and lakes. Alligators
swim very well, mainly using their _______
to propel
tails
themselves through the water, and also using their
webbed
__________
feet. There are two types of alligators.
American alligator which grows up to
The ________
19 feet long, weighing up to 600 pounds
_____
Chinese
and the __________
alligator which grows
6 feet long. Alligators are
to be about _____
___________
and feed primarily at night. Adult gators eat fish,
nocturnal
birds, turtles, reptiles, and mammals. They swallow their prey
whole
__________.
Alligators breed in the ________
and the female
spring
50 eggs in a large nest she
lays up to _____
constructed of mud, leaves, and twigs on the dry
ground. The temperature of the nest determines
the sex of the hatchlings. If the eggs are
93
males
incubated over _______°F
the embryos develop as ________;
if the
temperature is below ______°F
the embryos will be _______,
86
females
between these temperatures, ___________
both sexes are produced. The eggs
2 months
hatch in __________,
producing babies about 6 inches long. The
pod
group of babies, called a ______,
are protected by the female for
about a _______.
Alligators are among the most __________
year
nurturing of the
reptiles.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ALLIGATORS AND CROCODILES
Habitat
Jaw
Teeth
Skin
Temperament
Location
ALLIGATORS
CROCODILES
Mainly freshwater
Fresh and Saltwater
“U” Shaped
“V” Shaped
Upper teeth visible when
Upper and lower teeth visible
mouth closed
when mouth closed
Darker
Less aggressive
USA and China
Lighter
More aggressive
All over the world