Interesting Facts about Reptiles and Amphibians:

What is a Reptile?

A reptile is a vertebrate animal with a body covered in tough scales. Most reptiles live on land,but turtles and some snakes live in water. Crocodiles and their relatives spend time on land in water. There are more 8,000 species of reptiles present in this world. Here is a list of some facts about reptiles and amphibians:

Snakes:

Largest snakes:

Many people believe that the South American anaconda is the longest snake. There are reports of anaconda up to 36.5 meter long, but this has never been proved. Green anaconda is the largest snake in the world. Green anaconda can grow to more than 29 feet, weigh more than 550 pounds. Females are significantly larger than males.

Smallest snake:

The thread snake is rarely longer than 108 millimetre. They are very thin. The Barbados thread snakes are incredibly small. These snakes often weigh as little as 0.6 gram.

Deadliest snake:

Taipan:
The coastal taipan of Australia injects the most venom per bite with 120 mg. Since just 1 mg is enough to kill a person, the venom from a single bite could kill 120 people.

Black Mamba:

The fast moving black mamba of central and southern Africa kills 90 to 100 per cent of the people it bites. Black mamba is extremely venomous snake after king cobra.

King cobra:

The world’s largest venomous snake is king cobra. They live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India, Southern China and South east Asia. With a single bite, a king cobra can inject as much as 7 mm of venom almost enough to fill 1.5 teaspoons into its victim.

Russel’s Viper:

The Russel’s Pit Viper is far more dangerous than most poisonous snakes because it harms you even if you survive the initial bite. The bite of Russel viper can be fatal.

Lizards Facts:

Lizards are reptiles. There are over 6,000 species of lizards. Lizards generally have small heads, long bodies and long tails. Lizards are found all over the world in almost every type of land. Some lizards can go their entire lifetime without drinking any water at all. Most lizards, in reality are harmless to humans however, there are certain lizards which are poisonous. All lizards are capable of swimming and a few are quite comfortable in aquatic environments. Many are also good climbers and fast sprinters

Crocodiles Facts:

Crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gavials are related but are different species. There are 23 species in the crocodile family,including alligators,caimans and gavials. Most alligators and caimans have wide u-shaped snouts but crocodiles have narrower v-shaped snouts. Crocodiles are generally bigger and more aggressive than alligators. Crocodiles are known to attack just because someone or something is near them; crocodiles tend to be more active in the water. Crocodiles have higher functioning salt glands which allows them to excrete higher amounts of salt from water than alligators can. Alligators’ glands do not function as strongly.

What is an Amphibian?

An amphibian is a vertebrate animal that spends at least some of its life in water. Its skin is not scaly. There are about 5,578 species of amphibian, divided into following frogs and toads, Newts and salamander and caecilian.

Frogs and Toads:  Frog and toads both belong to the Anura order, but are found in different families. Frogs have smooth, slimy skin and long legs toads have dry thick skin and shorter legs. Frogs tend to be nimbler than toads. Frogs use their long powerful legs to jump and hop around. Toads actually prefer to walk rather than hop. A toad lays its eggs in long strings or lines where as the frog lays its eggs in large, round clusters on top of the water’s surface. Most toads are poisonous, as are many species of frogs. 

Salamander: Salamanders are amphibians that look like a cross between a frog and a lizard. Their bodies are long and slender, their skin is moist and usually smooth and they have long tails. Some species of Salamanders are aquatic throughout life, others take to the water periodically and a few are completely terrestrial as adults. Salamanders are nocturnal creatures. Salamanders usually move very slowly, although they can run quickly to get away from danger. 

Caecilian: Caecilians are limbless amphibians that on a surface resemble a worm or a snake. Their tales are short or absent and their cloacae are near the ends of their bodies. They mostly live hidden in the ground. The skin of caecilians is smooth and slimy. The word caecilian comes from the Latin “caecus,” which means blind. Some caecilian species are eyeless, while others have small eyes hidden under their skin.