All About Reptiles： What Makes it a Reptile？ - FreeSchool

Hi everyone! Today we're going to learn about reptiles. Reptile is the name for a large group of animals. Reptiles are vertebrates, which means they have backbones. They are also cold-blooded, have scaly skin, and lay eggs. When we say that reptiles are cold-blooded, that does not mean that they are cold. It just means that they cannot keep their bodies the right temperature without help. To warm up, reptiles move somewhere warmer, often a nice sunny rock. To cool down, reptiles move somewhere cooler, perhaps into the water or a nice shady burrow. Because of this, reptiles mainly live places where it does not get too cold. This is probably why reptiles live on every continent except for Antarctica. Their skin is one good way to tell if the animal you are looking at is a reptile or an amphibian. Reptiles' scaly skin is dry and watertight. It may be rough or smooth, dull or shiny, but never slimy. If you see an animal that looks like a snake or a lizard but it has wet or slimy skin, you're probably looking at an amphibian instead of a reptile. Almost all reptiles lay eggs, although some give birth to live young. Unlike birds' eggs which have hard shells, reptile eggs are soft and leathery. Unlike amphibians, reptiles lay their eggs on land. Even reptiles that spend most of their time in the water, like alligators and sea turtles, lay their eggs on dry land. Reptiles are fascinating creatures and come in many different shapes and sizes. Some people even keep reptiles as pets. Some reptiles make good pets, and some would make very bad pets. I hope you enjoyed learning about reptiles today. Goodbye till next time!