DK Findout! Reptiles and Amphibians

64 Pages·2021·22.07 MB·english

by  DK

Reptiles and
Amphibians
Author and consultant: Chris Mattison
US_001_Half_title.indd 1 31/03/2017 11:05
Contents
Project editor Satu Fox
Design assistant Ala Uddin
Editors Radhika Haswani, Megan Weal 4 What is a reptile?
Art editor Roohi Rais
Senior editor Garima Sharma
6 What is an amphibian?
US Editor Jenny Siklos
US Senior editor Shannon Beatty
Managing editors Deborah Lock, Monica Saigal 8 Ancient relatives
Managing art editors Vicky Short, Neha Ahuja Chowdhry
Pre-production producer Dragana Puvacic
Producer Isabell Schart 10 Carnivores and herbivores
Art director Martin Wilson
Publisher Sarah Larter
12 Scaly skin
Publishing director Sophie Mitchell
Educational consultant Jacqueline Harris
14 Babies
First American Edition, 2017
Published in the United States by DK Publishing
345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014
16 Temperature control
Copyright © 2017 Dorling Kindersley Limited
DK, a Division of Penguin Random House LLC
17 18 19 20 21 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
001–299020–Sep/2017 18 Frog or toad?
All rights reserved.
Without limiting the rights under the copyright reserved 20 In the rain forest
above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored
in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, 22 Reptiles at sea
recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission
of the copyright owner.
Published in Great Britain by Dorling Kindersley Limited. 24 Turtles
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of
Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4654-6310-4 K
i
n
DK books are available at special discounts when purchased in g
c
bulk for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising, or o
educational use. For details, contact: DK Publishing Special br
Markets, 345 HudSspoenc SiatlrSeaelte, sN@edwk .Ycoormk, New York 10014 W hite’s tree fro a
g
Printed and bound in China
All images © Dorling Kindersley Limited
For further information see: www.dkimages.com
A WORLD OF IDEAS:
SEE ALL THERE IS TO KNOW
www.dk.com
The scale boxes throughout the Scale Scale
book show you how big a reptile
or amphibian is compared to a
person who is 6 ft (1.8 m) tall or
a hand that is 7 in (18 cm) high.
2
US_002-003_Contents_Reptiles.indd 2 21/04/2017 11:42
Contents
26 Inside a tortoise 48 Real-life dragons
28 Hunting habits 50 Burrowers
30 Crocodilians 52 Reptile or amphibian?
32 Desert dwellers 54 Amphibians, reptiles, and us
34 Lizards 56 Meet the expert
36 Salamanders and newts 58 Facts and figures
38 Senses 60 Glossary
40 Survival tactics 62 Index
42 Snakes 64 Acknowledgments
44 Changing colors
46 Warning! e s a lamander
Fir
Green sea t
P a n t h e r c hameleon urtle
Spectacled caiman
3
US_002-003_Contents_Reptiles.indd 3 31/03/2017 11:05
What is a reptile?
There are five different groups of reptiles, and 5
REPTILE TYPES
they come in a wide range of shapes and sizes.
Reptiles all have a backbone, they are covered 1 Lizards: 6,263 species
in scales or hard armor, they are cold-blooded, 2
Snakes: 3,617 species
and most of them lay eggs. A reptile’s scales 3
Turtles and tortoises:
are made of the same substance that is found 346 species
4
in our fingernails! Crocodilians: 25 species
5
Tuataras: One species!
nt to rtoise Heavy, domed shell
a
gi
a
r
b
a
d
Al
Light, flat shell
Yellow-bellie d slider
! WO
W!
There were
Turtles, tortoises, and terrapins tortoises on
Tortoises live on the land and have domed shells and Earth before
stumpy legs. Turtles live in the water, have flatter the dinosaurs!
shells, and feet like paddles. Turtles that live in fresh
water are sometimes called terrapins.
4
US_004-005_What_is_a_reptile.indd 4 31/03/2017 11:05
Burmese python Snakes
Snakes have no legs,
so they move by
slithering along,
or climbing. Snakes
never stop growing.
They eat other
animals and swallow
their prey whole.
Burmese pythons can
grow up to 13 ft (4 m) long.
Eurasian
blindsnake
Crocodilians
The crocodilian family
includes alligators, Saltwater crocodile
crocodiles, gharials,
and caimans. They are all
hunters that can live in water
and on land, but they are different Crocodiles have
teeth that stick out
sizes and shapes.
over their jaws.
Spectacled caiman
Tuataras Lizards
There is only one kind of tuatara, as By far the most common reptiles are the lizards,
all its relatives became extinct 60 which live on every continent except Antarctica.
million years ago. The tuatara looks This group includes chameleons, geckos, monitors,
like a lizard, but can survive in much iguanas, and skinks, among others.
colder temperatures and live to well
WOW! over 100 years old. n’s c hameleon Flirzianrgde-toed
Eyes move arso
separately, so P
they can look
in different
directions.
Tuatara in a New Zealand forest
5
US_004-005_What_is_a_reptile.indd 5 31/03/2017 11:05
What is an
amphibian?
Amphibians evolved from fish millions of
years ago. They are divided into
three kinds: frogs and toads,
newts and salamanders, and
caecilians. They all share
a few common features.
m a n der
a
al
S
Backbone
Amphibians are vertebrates,
which means they have
a backbone. Salamanders,
newts, and caecilians
g
have tails, but frogs o
Fr
and toads do not.
Life cycle
wt
Ne Most amphibians start life
in the water as eggs that
are covered in a kind of
jelly. As they grow, most
species develop limbs and
lungs so that they can
move and breathe on land.
6
US_006_007_What_are_amphibians.indd 6 31/03/2017 11:05
d
a
o
T
No scales
An amphibian’s skin
is moist and thin.
This allows it to
breathe through its skin,
but also means that the skin
dries out quickly. This means
that most amphibians live in
damp places.
n Gills
e
Sir
Amphibian babies breathe
through gills, like fish.
Some salamanders, like
sirens, keep their gills
their whole life, but
most lose them and
grow lungs, so that they
g can breathe on land.
o
Fr
Cold-blooded
Amphibians’ bodies are the
same temperature as their
surroundings. They cannot
make heat inside their bodies,
so they have to warm themselves
up in the sun.
7
US_006_007_What_are_amphibians.indd 7 31/03/2017 11:05
Ancient relatives
Reptiles first appeared on Earth about 450 million years ago.
They evolved from the first amphibians, which emerged
when fish with leglike fins crawled onto land about 50
million years earlier. Some modern reptiles, such as
crocodiles, look very similar to their ancient relatives.
Long, narrow wings
were the perfect
shape for gliding.
Pteranodon
This spectacular flying giant
spent much of its life soaring
over oceans, on wings with a
» Scale
span of around 20 ft (6 m). Its
long, toothless beak was great
for scooping up small fish.
» Scale
Deinosuchus Partially webbed
feet were useful
Although not as quick on land as today’s
for swimming.
alligator or crocodile, Deinosuchus became
a fast-moving killer in water. Its powerful
jaws, lined with lots of spiky teeth, were
strong enough to grab any mid-sized
dinosaur grazing near the river bank.
8
US_008-009_Ancient_relatives.indd 8 31/03/2017 11:06