Reptile Anatomy

Reptiles are tetrapod animals in the class reptilia comprising todays turtles crocodilians snakes amphisbaenians lizards tuatara and their extinct relatives. They have color vision with the visual depth perception being much more advanced than amphibians and many mammals.

Reptiles About Animals

Reptiles are skilled to live on both land and in water.

Reptile anatomy. In reptiles we can find caudal autotomy in lacertids geckos skinks and tuataras. All reptiles have both pulmonary and systemic circulations ie similar to mammals. In the snake the parietal veins from the body wall and the caudal vein from the tail pass through the kidneys before anastomosing with the ventral abdominal vein.

Caudal autotomy is found in many species of reptiles and in two species of spiny mouse of the genus acomys. The study of these traditional reptile orders historically combined with that of modern amphibians is called herpetology. The bodies of the reptiles are covered with dry horny scales and plates.

They have their habitat very close to the ground. In non crocodilian reptiles some mixing of blood occurs in the single ventricle however functional separation of venous and arterial blood is largely maintained thanks to a muscular ridge in the ventricle termed the intraventricular septum or vertical septum. That change in direction allows reptiles to pick their bellies off the ground and helps them move more efficiently.

Basically the legs of reptiles shifted to the bottom of the body. In the lizard the caudal tail vein and the internal and external iliac veins all feed through the kidneys before returning to the heart. Autotomy or self amputation is defined as a behaviour in which the animal can shed off one or more body parts.

Reptile anatomy most reptiles are unable to see properly during nighttime as their vision is mainly adapted to the daylight conditions. The structure of the reptile body has been designed to make it comfortable in both habitats. The anatomy of the snakes head has a number of adaptations that allow it to swallow large prey.

Reptiles differ from other terrestrial vertebrates birds and mammals in that they are cold blooded that is they lack an effective system for regulating their body temperature which tends to approach that of the environment. Reptiles have a renal portal system. Except snake most of the reptiles have four limbs.

In addition the snake has no temporomandibular joint. Reptiles legs are directed down towards the ground. In all snakes the two halves of lower jaw are loosely held together rostrally and the mandibular symphysis can separate.

We told you that amphibians have legs on the sides. The reptile anatomy clipart gallery provides 63 illustrations of reptile body parts skeletons organs and other internal and external anatomical views.

Reptiles Anatomy And Physiology All You Need Is Biology