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Reptiles are air breathing, generally cold blooded that generally has skin covered in scales. They are descended from vertebrates with four limbs and lay eggs, whose fertilized egg are surrounded by the membrane. The majority of reptiles are certain species which they are capable of giving live birth. Many of the viviparous species feed their fetuses through various forms of placenta analogous to those of mammals with some providing initial care for their hatchlings.
The reptiles were from the outset of classification grouped with the amphibians. Linnaeus working from species poor Sweden where the common adder and grass Snake are often found hunting in water included all reptiles. The terms reptile and amphibian were largely interchangeable, reptiles. Not until the turn of the century did it become clear that reptiles and amphibians are in fact quite different animals, and Pierre Andre Latreille erected the class Batracia for the latter, dividing the tetra pods into the four familiar classes of reptiles, amphibians, birds and mammals.
Reptiles are classified as four major groups. These major groups are classified into Crocodilia, Sphenodonita, Testudines and Squamata.
- Crocodilia: Crocodiles, Alligators, Gharials & Caimans they are the order of reptiles. The range of these reptiles includes North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.
- Sphenodonita: This order of reptiles used to be incredibly diverse, with many different families and species within the order. The Sphenodontia order dates back to the Mesozoic, more than 100 million years ago.
- Testudines: Turtles & Tortoises they are the order of testudines reptiles. At the time of this writing, there were approximately 300 known species within this order of reptiles.
- Squamata: Lizards & Snakes they are the order of Squamata reptiles. Due to the incredibly large variety of reptile within this order which is nearly 8,000 and the more common as well as popular one is lizards and snakes.
