Non-Avian Reptiles Flashcards
1
Q
Classes of non-avian reptiles
A
- Testudines: Turtles
- Lepidosauria: Tuataras & Squamata
- Archosauria: Crocodilians & birds
2
Q
Testudines
Testudines: Shell
A
- Composed of dorsal carapace and ventral plastron
- Outerlayer compsed of keratin
- Inner layer composed of bone
3
Q
Testudines
Testudines: Reproduction
A
Sexual reproduction:
* Dioecious
* Oviparous
* Internal fertilization
* Direct development
* Parental care is absent
* Bury shelled, amniotic eggs in the ground
* T°-dependent sex determination (low = males; high = females)
4
Q
Lepidosauria
Squamata: Characteristic features
A
- Comprises 95% of known living non-avian reptiles
- Body covered with scales
- Kinetic skulls (specialised for swallowing large prey)
5
Q
Lepidosauria
Squamata: Lizards
A
- Paraphyletic group
- Moveable eyelids
- Succesfull in warm climates with low productivity
6
Q
Lepidosauria
Squamata: Snakes
A
- Monophyletic group
- Vertebrae are shorter, wider, & more numerous than other tetrapods
7
Q
Lepidosauria
Snakes vs Lizards
A
- Snakes do not have moveable eyelids
- Snakes have no external ear openings (internal only)
- Snake skull even more kinetic than lizard skull
8
Q
Lepidosauria
Jacobson’s organs
ALL snakes & some lizards
A
- Pair of organs in roof of mouth lined with olfactory epithelium
- Forked tongue flicks through air and collects scent particles
9
Q
Lepidosauria
Tuataras
A
- Lizard-like animals
- Endemic to New Zealand
- Endangered species
- Share burrows with petrels
10
Q
Archosauria
Order Crocodilia: General characteristics
A
- Alligators & crocodiles
- Well-reinforced skull & massive jaw musculature
- Teeth are replaced (like sharks)
11
Q
Archosauria
Order Crocodilia: Reproduction
A
- Oviparous
- Female lays 20-50 eggs and buries them in sand
- Extensive parental care
- T°-dependent sex determination (low = females; high = males
