Non-avian Reptiles

Scaly and cold-blooded, reptiles are often thought of as primitive and unsophisticated. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Not only are reptiles highly evolved creatures, but they are in many cases more finely tuned to their surroundings that birds or mammals. They live in a wide variety of habitats and have numerous strategies to survive, acquire food, and regulate their body temperature. Click on the following images to explore the great diversity of scaly friends we share the world with.

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Fun Fact: Phylogenetically speaking, there is no concrete distinction between birds and reptiles as taxonomic groups. Similarly, reptiles are also not a distinct taxonomic group, but instead several groups with similar features. Because of this, I refer to "reptiles" as non-avian reptiles.