Interesting data and facts about reptiles. Reptiles - interesting facts

What animals do the third eye help navigate in space?

The third eye, or parietal eye, is a common light-sensitive organ in some agnathans, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. It is located between the main eyes and is much smaller in size, and is also covered with skin, although more transparent. It contains a retina, a nerve and an analogue of a lens, which allows it to perceive the direction of sunlight, the polarization of light from the sky and, according to some hypotheses, lines of force magnetic field Earth. For many species, the necessity of the parietal eye for normal orientation in space has been experimentally confirmed. In birds and mammals, all that remains of the third eye is the pineal organ - the so-called pineal body, which is part of the endocrine system.

Which person have you been friends with for 20 years? wild crocodile?

In 1991, Costa Rican Gilberto Sedden discovered a dying crocodile on the river bank, shot in the left eye. He took him away in a boat and nursed him for six months at his home, where he not only fed and gave him medicine, but also cuddled the reptile, which he named Pocho. When Pocho recovered, Gilberto took him to the river, but he returned to the house after him and began to live in a pond nearby. They began to swim together every day, play and hug, and later Gilberto began to organize performances for tourists from this. In 2011, Pocho died of old age.

What marine and terrestrial reptiles are able to mate and produce offspring?

The Galapagos Islands are home to both marine iguanas, which eat mainly algae, and terrestrial iguanas, called conolophans, which eat mainly cacti and prickly pears. Despite the fact that these lizards belong not only to different species, but even genera, they are able to mate and produce viable offspring. Hybrid iguanas feel equally good under water and on land, and due to sharper claws they can climb up cacti, unlike conolophids, which only pick up fallen fruits. However, hybrids are no longer able to reproduce.

How high can crocodiles climb trees?

Crocodiles can climb trees and do it willingly. Watching individuals different types in Australia, Africa and America, zoologists have noticed crocodiles climbing trees to a height of up to two meters, although according to the testimony of some local residents they can climb much higher - up to ten meters. While young crocodiles can climb vertically up a trunk, adult crocodiles can only climb branches inclined toward the ground or water. Scientists associate this behavior with the desire of crocodiles to explore their territory and bask in the sun.

In which animals is necrophilia a common reproductive strategy?

In Amazonian frogs Rhinella proboscidea, the number of males is 10 times higher than the number of females. During the mating season, males, fighting for females, form large balls, under which the females sometimes drown. This fact does not stop some males - instead of fighting for the living, they extract eggs from the bodies of already dead females and fertilize them. Biologists have called this unique behavior “functional necrophilia.”

What animals eat their tail and in what cases?

The tail, which the lizard throws away in case of danger, “dances” to attract attention to itself. for a long time, and in some species it even makes sounds due to the friction of scales against each other. The North American scincella, after throwing off its tail, returns to this place after some time, and if the predator does not feast on the tail, it eats it itself, since it contains a large number of nutrients. In rare cases, the tail breaks, but does not break off completely - then the lizard may grow another tail at the site where the vertebrae are broken.

Why are lizards that reproduce by parthenogenesis still involved in mating games?

Many species of lizards are capable of reproducing through parthenogenesis, that is, without the participation of a male. Parthenogenesis is the most well studied in the population of lizards Cnemidophorus neomexicanus. Despite the complete absence of males among them, reptiles are still involved in mating rituals. Immediately after laying eggs, the female retains increased level progesterone, which encourages her to play the role of a male, climbing on other females whose laying is yet to come. Studies have shown that the productivity of lizards after such “mating” due to the release of hormones is higher than that of isolated individuals.

How does a snake charmer make a snake that is deaf to the sound of a pipe dance?

The spectacled snake from the genus of cobras is absolutely deaf to the sounds of the pipe. From the outside it may seem that the snake seems to be dancing, moving to the beat of the snake charmer’s melody. In fact, it simply follows the movements of the pipe, and also reacts to the vibration that the caster creates by tapping his foot. By the way, the lives of Indian masters of this profession are not in danger during the performance - all the venom from the cobra’s teeth is removed in advance.

What animals collect moisture in front of their eyes and then drink from it?

Gecko lizards do not have eyelids, so they are forced to periodically wet a special transparent membrane over their eyes with their tongue. And the web-footed geckos, which live in the deserts of Namibia, use this feature for the reverse process. Almost every morning, fog falls on the dunes here, after which liquid condenses in front of the lizard’s eyes. The gecko then licks it off to quench its thirst.

Which snake feeds exclusively on bird eggs, much larger than itself?

The African egg snake is unique in that it can feed exclusively on bird eggs, the diameter of which can significantly exceed the size of the snake itself. She succeeds in this thanks to the very mobile joints of the skull bones, underdeveloped teeth and special processes of the cervical vertebrae. It is thanks to them that the snake opens the shell, swallowing the liquid and then spitting out the remains of the shell.

Which chameleon muscle hardly slows down as the temperature drops?

Chameleons are cold-blooded animals, and as the air temperature drops, their nervous and muscular activity slows down. However, the speed of throwing out the tongue, which chameleons use to catch prey, decreases very slightly: if at 35 °C it is 4 m/s, then at 15 °C it is 3.4 m/s. This feature has helped chameleons gain an advantage over other reptiles that become inactive in cold weather.

Where do soft-shell turtles live?

Not all turtles have a hard shell. Turtles of the soft-bodied superfamily completely lack horny scutes, so their shell is soft and leathery to the touch. Most species of this taxon also have a greatly reduced bony carapace. This is explained by the fact that such turtles spend most of their time motionless, burrowing into the sand at the bottom of the reservoir and waiting for prey.

What type of lizard is both oviparous and viviparous?

An Australian lizard called the yellow-bellied three-toed skink is known in different ways childbearing within the same species. In populations living on the seashore, the cubs hatch from eggs, and in cold mountainous areas these lizards are viviparous. The genus of forest lizards found in our latitudes also have similar properties - they lay eggs only in the southwest of their range.

What animal can get drunk by simply burying itself in wet sand?

The Moloch lizard, living in the deserts of Australia, has unique ability collect water with your skin. The liquid that gets on the skin is not immediately absorbed, but enters the lizard’s mouth through microscopic channels between the scales. Moloch is able to extract water even from wet sand, simply by burying his belly in it.

Where can you see flying snakes?

In Asian countries you can find flying snakes. They can climb to the tops of trees and from there soar down, spreading their ribs to the sides and turning into a kind of flat ribbon. Some individuals can cover distances of up to 100 meters in this way.

Reptiles are one of the oldest creatures to walk our planet. Extinct dinosaurs, by the way, were also reptiles, and modern lizards and crocodiles are also partly their descendants. However, there is an opinion that mammals and reptiles once descended from common ancestor. But who knows how it really was?

1. In the 18th and 19th centuries, biologists classified reptiles and amphibians in a general group called “reptiles.”
2. Reptiles have more in common with birds than any other animal (see).
3. About 9,400 species of reptiles live on Earth, of which only 77 are represented in Russia.
4. The largest land animals in the history of the planet, dinosaurs are ancient reptiles. Their descendants in modern world, oddly enough, they became birds, not reptiles.
5. Most reptiles combine the characteristics of simple amphibians and more highly developed vertebrates.
6. Chameleons are well known for their ability to change color depending on circumstances - stripes and spots can appear and disappear on their body, their skin color can quickly change from light yellow to purple and back again, and so on. It was believed that this is how chameleons protect themselves from predators, but scientists have proven that these animals need a change in color, first of all, to communicate with their relatives (see).
7. Diurnal reptiles see the world in a yellow-orange spectrum.
8. Many reptiles have a third eye - it is hidden under thin skin and serves the reptiles for orientation in space, determining the intensity of sunlight and the Earth's magnetic field lines. It is likely that the parietal eye also performs more complex functions, but scientists do not yet know which ones.
9. The eyes of some snakes and lizards are closed with a continuous transparent membrane that replaces their eyelids.
10. Snakes do not have eardrums, so they hear very poorly - these reptiles perceive sounds through vibrations of water or earth (see).
11. Turtles feel even the slightest touch on their shell.
12. Although everything modern reptiles- cold-blooded animals, tegu lizards have learned to launch a special chemical reaction, artificially increasing the temperature in the body to attract partners.
13. In Australia, 40 thousand years ago there lived land crocodiles that did not enter the water at all (see).
14. Most reptiles can only make primitive sounds, such as hissing or whistling.
15. The most massive snake on the planet is the anaconda, which can reach almost 7 meters in length. This reptile weighs from 30 to 70 kilograms. At the same time, it is recognized as the longest snake on Earth reticulated python, growing up to 7.5 meters.
16. The length of a chameleon's tongue can reach 50 centimeters.
17. The skull bones of many snakes are movable so that their owners can open their mouths extremely wide and swallow large prey.
18. Turtles appeared on Earth earlier than dinosaurs (see).
19. Most reptiles are lousy parents. They do not care at all about their offspring and rely on the independence of the babies born. The only exception to this rule is turtles.
20. Crocodiles cannot chew - they tear their victims into pieces and then swallow the resulting pieces. They even have a special tooth designed for dismembering prey.
21. Over the course of a lifetime, alligators grow more than 3,000 new teeth to replace those that are broken or lost.
22. The temperature in the place where the reptile eggs were laid affects the sex of the embryos within them.

The class of vertebrates that occupy an intermediate position between amphibians and mammals is called reptiles. They are more similar to birds. The following animals belong to this class according to the list:

• crocodiles;
• turtles;
• snakes;
• lizards;
• dinosaurs (fossil form of animals of the Mesozoic era).

General characteristics of reptiles

Like amphibians, reptiles are cold-blooded creatures. In other words, their body temperature is determined by their surroundings. To some extent, reptiles are able to regulate their temperature by covering themselves against hypothermia. For example, in winter time animals hibernate during the year, and during extreme heat They begin hunting at night.

Reptiles have tough skin covered with scales. The main task which is to protect the body from drying out. For example, in turtles the upper protection is provided strong shell , crocodiles have hard plates of bone origin on their head and back.

Reptiles breathe only through the lungs. In some animal species the lungs are the same size and development, while in others, such as snakes and lizards, the right lung has larger size and is located throughout the body cavity. Turtles have fixed ribs due to their shell, so the ventilation of the body is organized in a different way. Air enters the lungs during rocking movements of the front legs or during intense swallowing.

The bony skeleton of reptiles is quite well developed. The number and shape of ribs depends on the specific species, but all representatives of the class have them. Almost all turtles have fused bony plates of the shell and spine. Snakes have ribs designed for active crawling. In lizards, the ribs serve to support fan-shaped membranes for gliding in the air.

Most reptiles have a short tongue that cannot protrude. Snakes and lizards have long tongue, divided in two, which is capable of extending far from the mouth. For this species of animal these are the most important sense organs.

To protect themselves from the environment, small reptiles have original coloring. Turtles are reliably protected by a dense shell. Some snakes are poisonous.

In terms of reproductive organs, reptiles are similar to birds. As a rule, reptiles are oviparous animals. But in some species, eggs remain inside in the oviduct until hatching. This type includes some species of lizards and vipers.

Classification of reptiles and their distribution

Modern reptiles are divided into four groups:

• turtles (about 300 species);
• crocodiles (25 species);
• scaly (about 5,500 species of lizards and snakes);
• tuatara (tuatara).

The last order belongs to the only representative of beaked animals among reptiles.

Reptiles distributed throughout the world. The greatest numbers are seen in warm areas. In regions with a cold climate and a lack of woody vegetation, reptiles are practically not found. Representatives of this class live on land, in water (fresh and salty) and in the air.

Ancient reptile fossils

Reptiles have been known since Carboniferous period. They reached their largest sizes in the Permian and Triassic periods. At the same time, there was an increased reproduction of animals that populated more and more new territories. IN Mesozoic era the dominance of reptiles was overwhelming, both on land and in water. It is not for nothing that this period was called the Age of Reptiles.

Turtles

To one of the most known species reptiles include turtles. There are both marine and land representatives of animals. The species is distributed throughout the world. Animals are also allowed keep at home. The most ancient representatives of turtles were discovered 200 million years ago. Scientists believe that they descended from a primitive species of cotylosaurs. Turtles are practically harmless animals, they are not dangerous to people.

Animals of this species have a shell of a bone structure. On the outside, it is formed by numerous individual elements of horny tissue, which are connected by plates. For breathing land turtles The lungs function well. Aquatic representatives of the class breathe using the mucous membrane of the pharynx. The main feature of these animals is longevity. Average age Turtles have a longer lifespan than any other reptile.

Crocodiles

Animals are among the most dangerous species reptiles. The origin of crocodiles is associated with ancient reptiles, the size of which exceeded 15 meters in length. Scientists were able to find the remains of ancient crocodiles on all continents globe. Modern representatives of this class have more conventional sizes. But among reptiles they still remain the largest species.

Almost all the time crocodiles are in the water. Only the ears, nose and eyes of the animal appear on the surface. Crocodiles swim with the help of webbed tails and paws. But on great depth Only single representatives of the class can exist - the combed species. Crocodiles' nests are located on land. In some cases, they also crawl out of the water to warm themselves.

Reptiles have a strong, powerful tail and are also characterized by high speed of movement on land. Therefore, crocodiles are extremely dangerous to humans. A sudden sudden burst can take people by surprise. Most dangerous representatives Alligators are considered crocodiles.

Chameleons

This type of lizard is known to almost everyone. Reptiles are known for their unique coloration, which serves as a camouflage feature. An animal's skin can change color depending on environmental conditions. Chameleons live in trees. Some people keep these cute creatures at home.

Reptiles are quite finicky to care for. They need a spacious terrarium, which is equipped with special lamps. You will need wood, a small pond, heated floors and excellent ventilation. Chameleons feed on insects. Therefore, the owners will also have to take care of their availability.

Iguanas

Currently, there are more and more lovers of pets - iguanas. This representative of lizards also requires special care. Iguanas must be kept in a special terrarium that can maintain a certain temperature regime. Domestic iguanas prefer to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs. At good care and creating optimal living conditions, lizards at home can grow quite large. Maximum iguana weight - 5 kg. It is difficult to keep such a pet at home; it will require a large financial investment, as well as significant labor costs.

Iguanas are one of those rare species reptiles that molt. Most reptiles experience this period in two days, but in iguanas it lasts for several weeks.

Monitor lizards

There are about 70 species of monitor lizards. They live in different territories. The size of the animals is very impressive. Short-tailed monitor lizards have a length of about 20 cm, while other representatives have a much longer length (about 1 meter). The most large monitor lizards Komodo species are considered. Their dimensions reach three meters in length, and their weight is 1500 kg. It’s not for nothing that such animals are called modern dinosaurs.

Monitor lizards are covered with large scales. They have strong paws with a tenacious grip and powerful a long tail . The animal's language is also different large sizes, at the end it is divided in half. Lizards can only smell with their tongue. The color of animals is dominated by gray and brown shades. Young representatives of the class are often found with spotted or striped scales. Monitor lizards live in regions with warm climates. They are most common in Australia, Africa and southern Asia. Depending on their habitat, monitor lizards are divided into two types. The first of them lives in a desert area with dry trees and shrubs. And the second is located closer to tropical forests and reservoirs. Some representatives of monitor lizards live on tree branches.

Geckos

Unique representatives of reptiles that are able to stick to any surface, even the smoothest. Geckos can climb smooth glass walls, hang from ceilings, and many other interesting things. The lizard is able to stay on the surface with just one paw.

Snakes

These are famous representatives of reptiles. The main difference from other species is the body shape. Snakes have a long body, but do not have paired limbs, eyelids or an external auditory canal. Some of these characteristics are present in individual lizard species, but collectively such characteristics are only observed in snakes.

Zmeinoye the body consists of three elements:

• head;
• body;
• tail.

Some representatives retained rudimentary forms of limbs. A large number of snake species are venomous. They have grooved or channeled teeth that contain venom. This dangerous liquid comes from salivary glands animal. All internal organs snakes differ from standard indicators. They have an oblong shape. Animals do not have a bladder. There is before our eyes cornea, which was formed from fused eyelids. Snakes that are diurnal have a transverse pupil, while nocturnal snakes have a vertical pupil. Because Since animals do not have an auditory canal, they can only hear loud sounds.

Snakes

These are representatives of one of the varieties of snakes. Their main feature is that they are not poisonous. Snakes have bright scales with a large ribbed surface. Animals are common near water bodies. Amphibians and fish serve as food for them. Sometimes snakes manage to catch a bird or small mammal. Such snakes do not kill their prey; they swallow it whole.

If the snake senses danger, it pretends to be dead. And when attacked, a liquid with an extremely unpleasant odor is released from the mouth. Snakes breed on plant soils covered with damp moss or natural debris.

The list of modern reptiles can be continued for a very long time. All representatives of the class have certain similarities characteristic of this type of animal, as well as clear differences. Such animals are of great interest to scientists and hobbyists from all over the world. Their unique features can tell you a lot.

Reptiles are considered one of the most interesting and versatile groups of the animal world. At first glance they seem negative emotions, a person perceives them as danger and insensitivity. But still, there are many facts that go unnoticed, and after a close acquaintance with these representatives, new interesting sides open up. This is proof that reptiles have amazing abilities. Interesting facts about reptiles:

Reptiles are the longest living animal species

The lifespan of reptiles is very diverse, but this species is still a long-liver. Each of the representatives of this group lives in certain environmental conditions, where formed abilities that developed throughout the entire evolutionary process are manifested. It is this gift that allows animals to defend themselves from enemies and experience unfavourable conditions, get food, thereby extending your life.

Coolness

There is no regulation of body temperature in this type of animal, and they extract heat from external sources. Thus, when the ambient temperature gradually decreases, the speed of movement of animals also begins to slow down. And in winter period they fall into a state of suspended animation.

Toxicity is a complex and invisible phenomenon

Most snakes are not poisonous, only a small part of them are considered dangerous to humans.
The desire to attack first poisonous snakes absent unless they feel threatened. In many cases, when aggression on the part of animals manifests itself, these are the consequences of the rash actions of the victim. Reptile venom is a universal remedy, a “weapon” for defense and obtaining food. It is he who helps cope with large prey.

The importance of the olfactory organs

For reptiles, smell is one of the important senses. After all, almost all reptiles live in areas with dense vegetation, so vision and hearing are not reliable devices for recognizing terrain. In such situations, when searching for food, catching odors is of considerable importance.

But snakes and lizards do not perceive the smell with their nose; for further identification, they raise their tongue up and only then does it become possible to sense the aroma.

Longest snake

Snakes never grow to enormous sizes, but there are still “giants” among them. Anaconda boa constrictor, inhabitant South America, the length of today's terrestrial vertebrates reaches 11.43 meters. This specimen feeds on fish and other small animals. But there is another member of this group - the reticulated python, the most well-known individual lives in Japan. Its value is 12, 30 meters, and the mass approaches 200 kilograms.

Chameleon skin color does not adjust to environment to blend into a specific background. The innate color of these animals is one - green, which coincides with the color of the foliage. They are able to change their color, but to a limited extent, they only lighten or darken the color of their skin. But this color modification that occurs is associated with air temperature, lighting and emotional changes.

1. The exceptional length of a chameleon's tongue. The main feature of this lizard is its tongue, the size of which can reach 50 centimeters. In most cases, the length of this organ depends on the size of the owner himself, therefore, the larger the lizard, the longer its tongue will be.
2. Features of the structure of the skull. The skulls of reptiles, especially snakes, are made up of small bones. All parts of the head are interconnected and have the ability to dynamically and constantly move. Thus, this construction allows snakes to expand their jaws to eat prey they catch, which is much larger than their head.
3. Reptiles' skin is always cool and dry because they do not have sweat glands. Therefore, the common belief that they have a mucous membrane is erroneous.
4. The shedding of skin in snakes depends only on the growth rate, thus young organisms change their skin more often.
5. The largest representative of reptiles is considered saltwater crocodile, the length of which reaches 7 meters.
6. Turtles are age-old animals on Earth, they outlived many related creatures and appeared in this world before dinosaurs.
7. Keratin- the main component of the scales of snakes and lizards.
8. Fertilization in reptiles occurs on land, it is internal and aquatic environment they are never used to lay future offspring. And the shell of the egg itself has a parchment or shell structure, which protects it from drying out.
9. The independence of reptile cubs manifests itself immediately after birth; reptiles lack parental behavior. Only a few can protect and take care of their clutches.
10. The digestive system of a crocodile works with great intensity, which gives this animal a chance to digest even steel objects.
11. Alligator teeth. Prolonged and active work of the alligator's jaw leads to constant loss of teeth, but thanks to good regeneration throughout its life, the alligator grows about 3,000 new teeth.
12. The nutrition of reptiles is very extraordinary, but the basis of their diet is occupied by insects, fish, birds and other small animals.
13. Reptiles - amazing creatures, bright, rare and each of them is exceptional in its own way. They still appeared 300 million years ago, and are found on all continents, but more often in warm areas. They occupy the initial stage in nature, because it was this group of animals that became the first, like true terrestrial vertebrates.

Reptiles or reptiles are animals that were the masters of the planet in the Mesozoic era. They dominated not only on land, but also in water and air. Paleontologists and archaeologists have found irrefutable evidence that prehistoric reptiles were much larger than modern ones, and the most terrifying images from horror films may well have been commonplace at the time. Now this class has been significantly reduced, but among its representatives you can find a large number of amazing reptiles that can surprise people with their appearance or way of life.

These unusual animals demonstrate an evolutionary transition from the absence of limbs to the appearance of them, so some of them have legs, others have reduced ones, and others are completely absent. The same picture is observed with reproduction: some species lay eggs, some are viviparous, and some representatives manage to combine both types. Amazing facts There is quite a lot about reptiles, but zoologists never tire of discovering new and even more amazing ones.

Tegu

Tegus, theids or American monitor lizards are among the most highly organized lizards in the world, which are quite large predators. Their quick wit and intelligence make these reptiles as pets as iguanas.

But the most amazing thing is not the mental abilities of tegus, but their method of reproduction. In order to give birth, theids do not need males. They are able to lay eggs, from which strong and viable monitor lizards hatch without sexual intercourse. This type of reproduction is called parthenogenesis, and with its help about 15 species of theids continue the genus.

Parthenogenesis is not like that a rare event in nature, as one might imagine, but if in other species it is most often caused by a temporary absence of males, then in the above-mentioned tegus no males were found at all. All of their representatives are exclusively females. As a result of parthenogenesis, small females are born, which in turn will give birth to offspring consisting of only female individuals. This feature allows theides to spread to new territories even if they enter desert island. One season is enough for a large colony consisting of only females to form.

Despite the impressive body size, reaching 1.4 m, tegus are very timid, like all girls, and in case of any danger they quickly run away into the nearest bushes or thickets, making jumps while running to accelerate to the maximum. If they are driven into a dead end, they have no choice but to fight back the enemy, using their powerful tail, which can knock down an animal significantly larger than the tegu in one blow.

Among reptiles there are absolutely amazing representatives. One of them is the worm-like blind snake, which is actually neither a worm nor a snake at all. The only thing that is true in the title is the mention of almost complete blindness. The blind snake does not need vision, since it spends most of its life in places with low level illumination: in burrows, under stumps, in deep passages underground.

The body length of worm-like blind snakes is 25–30 cm, and for a long time zoologists considered them snakes small size. But after the animal was studied in more detail, it turned out that the unusual reptile was a lizard. This was determined by the fact that the blind snake, in case of danger, is capable of throwing off its tail, which is much shorter than the tail of most lizards. In addition, her eyes have movable eyelids that periodically close to moisten the eye, and as you know, the snake’s gaze is striking precisely because the eyes of snakes never blink.

Externally, the blind snake is difficult to distinguish from a worm also because the surface of its body is pink and very delicate, but in fact it is covered from head to tail with very small scales, which are so thin that the skin can be seen through them.

Hatteria

In New Zealand, on numerous islands, there lives an animal that is considered a modern dinosaur - the hatteria. The animal has been preserved since the heyday of dinosaurs in Jurassic period. The fossilized remains of such “pocket” dinosaurs are found in deposits formed 200 million years ago. It’s not for nothing that hatteria is called a “living fossil.”

This species has survived all climate changes perfectly and adapted to new conditions. The animals have retained their striking characteristics: yellow spots on the sides and a ridge of triangular plates on the back. The tuatara owes its second name to this ridge - tuatara, which means “spiny” in the Maori language.

The reptile has one amazing organ - the parietal eye, which is also called the “third eye”. It is located at the back of the head and is filled with the lens and cells that are sensitive to light. It differs from ordinary eyes in that it has no muscles and, because of this, is not able to focus on a specific point. This organ is most noticeable in young tuataria, and after the reptile reaches sexual maturity, it gradually becomes overgrown.

The function of the third eye still remains a mystery to scientists; they can only assume that the purpose of this organ is to control exposure to the sun. Thanks to the presence of a third eye, the hatteria can understand that it has received enough light and it is time for it to hide in the shadows.

Modern dinosaurs are considered so important to modern science, that about 100 years ago, a protected area regime was introduced on all islands where tuaterias live. In these places, all cats, dogs, rodents and pigs that feed on the eggs of these reptiles were taken out or exterminated. Even tourists can visit these islands only with special permission, and violators of this rule face a prison sentence.

Agama Mwanza

Among the fauna of Africa you can find many colorful and unusual reptiles. But one lizard with amazing coloring has earned the special love and attention of Internet users. The fact is that the reptile with the complex name Agama Mwanza, with its coloring, resembles a Spider-Man costume.

The bright red front of the body and dark blue back, together with the specific pose inherent in this superhero, make the Mwanza agama quite recognizable. The length from head to tail is only 30 - 35 cm, but thanks to its bright color it is very easy to see it in a desert place. Pronounced coloring is characteristic only of males, since this is a special adaptation to attract females during the mating period. It is during mating games that the pigment is fully manifested. But it becomes even stronger and brighter in the case when several males compete for the attention of one female, because the lady’s heart will go to the most noticeable one.

These amazing animals become tamed very quickly: if you talk to them often, they become attached to their owner and happily sit in his arms. Fans of keeping exotic animals at home Lately Agamas are increasingly being kept in home terrariums.

The standard habitat of reptiles is water and land. But this was not enough for the paradise flying snake, and she decided to master the airspace. She cannot fly like birds, but she has mastered planning to perfection.

To do this, the flying snake is located at the very end of the branch, from which it sharply pushes off in the chosen direction. During the flight, she makes movements as if crawling on the ground. At the same time, her body sharply flattens due to the strong opening of the ribs and retraction of the abdomen. The resulting plane helps to increase the area that catches the air currents, and the paradise flying snake becomes like a long narrow hang glider.

These amazing reptiles are forced to perform such flights by pursuing prey, escaping from predatory animals, or the desire to quickly complete their journey. In flight, the paradise flying snake can fly up to 100 m in just a few seconds, which is 100 times the length of its own body.

Such amazing planning by air interested not only zoologists. It was adopted by military engineers, who, based on the data obtained, developed a promising aircraft for the army, currently in testing.

The largest among poisonous reptiles – King Cobra. Maximum length, recorded among representatives of this species, is 6 m. Such impressive dimensions are due to the fact that the snake grows throughout its entire life, which is about 30 years. It’s interesting that when they meet, two cobras measure their height, and the one that turns out to be shorter is considered the loser, so it crawls away in defeat.

It is known that one cobra bite contains enough venom to kill an elephant, but few people know that this snake can consciously control the amount of poisonous secretion that is released during the bite. For an enemy who will not serve her as food, she most often does not waste even a few molecules of poison, since a “harmless” bite is quite enough to scare off the enemy.

The male king cobra is the lucky owner of two genital organs at the same time. Maybe this is why sexual intercourse in representatives of this species can last up to 3 days without a break. After offspring appear in a family of king cobras, they take care of them and protect them from all sorts of dangers, which is very rarely observed in the world of reptiles.

The high intelligence of these animals is evidenced by their excellent memory: for many years, the king cobra remembers the appearance of the person who caught it, while the faces of all snakes of this species seem exactly the same to people.

Any child in the picture will easily recognize a turtle among all the animals and say that it is distinctive feature considered a hard shell. The Chinese trionix became an exception to this rule, since instead of a bony shell, its body is covered with a leathery formation.

The muzzle of this reptile is also unusual: instead of the standard nose, the reptile has a small proboscis, which is convenient to expose to the surface of the water to inhale a little air. This turtle's mouth performs one unusual function: urination occurs through it. The animal needs this in order to regulate the level of fluid in the body when diving to depth.

Despite the cute expression of its face, the Chinese Trionix is ​​known for its aggressive behavior, which it actively demonstrates even in terrariums, rushing at the fingers of visitors showing each other where this unusual turtle swims.

This animal owes its exotic appearance to the presence of large, thick scales that reliably protect the reptile from natural enemies. In moments of danger, it curls up into a ball, holding the tip of its tail with its teeth. In this way, the belt-tail protects the most tender place - the stomach, the scales on which are much thinner than on the back.

This lizard does not lay eggs, but gives birth to its babies fully formed. At the time of birth, the scales on their backs have not yet hardened, so the process of viviparity is quick and easy.

An amazing fact, but belt-tailed lizards always live in numerous colonies, which number from 30 to 60 representatives, which is very unusual for lizards - solitary animals. When temperatures drop during the winter, they may hibernate en masse to pass the time before the weather warms up. This mechanism allows them to survive the lack of food, since their favorite delicacy is insects, which are difficult to find in the cold season.

Many people find reptiles scary and ugly. But there are people who adore these animals. Proof of this is the statistics of visits to terrariums, a significant part of which are reptiles. These amazing animals are also becoming more and more popular as pets, because it is interesting for people to observe every day another form of life that is so different from ours.