Komodo Reptile Scales

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Hansen, D.M.; Donlan, C.J.; Griffiths, C.J.; Campbell, K.J. (April 2010). "Ecological history and latent conservation potential: Large and giant tortoises as a model for taxon substitutions". Ecography. 33 (2): 272–284. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0587.2010.06305.x.

In the 18th century, 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 and amphibians in class "III – Amphibia" in his Systema Naturæ. [7] The close of the Cretaceous period saw the demise of the Mesozoic era reptilian megafauna (see the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, also known as K-Textinction event). Of the large marine reptiles, only sea turtles were left; and of the non-marine large reptiles, only the semi-aquatic crocodiles and broadly similar choristoderes survived the extinction, with last members of the latter, the lizard-like Lazarussuchus, becoming extinct in the Miocene. [59] Of the great host of dinosaurs dominating the Mesozoic, only the small beaked birds survived. This dramatic extinction pattern at the end of the Mesozoic led into the Cenozoic. Mammals and birds filled the empty niches left behind by the reptilian megafauna and, while reptile diversification slowed, bird and mammal diversification took an exponential turn. [43] However, reptiles were still important components of the megafauna, particularly in the form of large and giant tortoises. [60] [61] The scales of a snake primarily serve to reduce friction as it moves, since friction is the major source of energy loss in snake locomotion. Rainbow boas get their name from the coloration of their scales caused by iridescence. Parthenogenetic species are suspected to occur among chameleons, agamids, xantusiids, and typhlopids. Cieri, Robert L.; Craven, Brent A.; Schachner, Emma R.; Farmer, C.G. (2014). "New insight into the evolution of the vertebrate respiratory system and the discovery of unidirectional airflow in iguana lungs". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 111 (48): 17218–17223. Bibcode: 2014PNAS..11117218C. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1405088111. PMC 4260542. PMID 25404314.

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Modesto, Sean; Reisz, Robert; Scott, Diane (2011). A neodiapsid reptile from the Lower Permian of Oklahoma. 71st Annual Meeting. Program and Abstracts. Society of Vertebrate Paleontology. p.160. Orenstein, Ronald (2001). Turtles, Tortoises & Terrapins: Survivors in Armor. Firefly Books. ISBN 978-1-55209-605-5. Most reptiles are diurnal animals. The vision is typically adapted to daylight conditions, with color vision and more advanced visual depth perception than in amphibians and most mammals. Snakes have been a motif in human culture and religion and an object of dread and fascination all over the world. The vivid patterns of snake scales, such as the Gaboon Viper, both repel and fascinate the human mind. Such patterns have inspired dread and awe in humans from pre-historic times and these can be seen in the art prevalent to those times. Studies of fear imagery and psychological arousal indicate that snake scales are a vital component of snake imagery. Snake scales also appear to have affected Islamic art in the form of tessellated mosaic patterns which show great similarity to snake-scale patterns. [34]

Brysse, K. (2008). "From weird wonders to stem lineages: The second reclassification of the Burgess Shale fauna". Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Biological and Biomedical Sciences. 39 (3): 298–313. doi: 10.1016/j.shpsc.2008.06.004. PMID 18761282. Watson, D.M.S. (1957). "On millerosaurus and the early history of the sauropsid reptiles". Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B. 240 (673): 325–400. Bibcode: 1957RSPTB.240..325W. doi: 10.1098/rstb.1957.0003. Hearing in humans relies on 3parts of the ear; the outer ear that directs sound waves into the ear canal, the middle ear that transmits incoming sound waves to the inner ear, and the inner ear that helps in hearing and keeping your balance. Unlike humans and other mammals, snakes do not possess an outer ear, a middle ear, and a tympanum but have an inner ear structure with cochleas directly connected to their jawbone. [93] They are able to feel the vibrations generated from the sound waves in their jaw as they move on the ground. This is done by the use of mechanoreceptors, sensory nerves that run along the body of snakes directing the vibrations along the spinal nerves to the brain. Snakes have a sensitive auditory perception and can tell which direction sound being made is coming from so that they can sense the presence of prey or predator but it is still unclear how sensitive snakes are to sound waves traveling through the air. [94] Skin [ edit ] Skin of a sand lizard, showing squamate reptiles iconic scales

After the extinction of most archosaur and marine reptile lines by the end of the Cretaceous, reptile diversification continued throughout the Cenozoic. Squamates took a massive hit during the K–Pg event, only recovering ten million years after it, [62] but they underwent a great radiation event once they recovered, and today squamates make up the majority of living reptiles (> 95%). [63] [64] Approximately 10,000 extant species of traditional reptiles are known, with birds adding about 10,000 more, almost twice the number of mammals, represented by about 5,700living species (excluding domesticated species). [65] The benefit of a low resting metabolism is that it requires far less fuel to sustain bodily functions. By using temperature variations in their surroundings, or by remaining cold when they do not need to move, reptiles can save considerable amounts of energy compared to endothermic animals of the same size. [77] A crocodile needs from a tenth to a fifth of the food necessary for a lion of the same weight and can live half a year without eating. [78] Lower food requirements and adaptive metabolisms allow reptiles to dominate the animal life in regions where net calorie availability is too low to sustain large-bodied mammals and birds. The synapsid/sauropsid division supplemented another approach, one that split the reptiles into four subclasses based on the number and position of temporal fenestrae, openings in the sides of the skull behind the eyes. This classification was initiated by Henry Fairfield Osborn and elaborated and made popular by Romer's classic Vertebrate Paleontology. [16] [17] Those four subclasses were: a b c Lee, M.S.Y. (2013). "Turtle origins: Insights from phylogenetic retrofitting and molecular scaffolds". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 26 (12): 2729–2738. doi: 10.1111/jeb.12268. PMID 24256520.

Antediluvian monster", a Mosasaurus discovered in a Maastricht limestone quarry, 1770 (contemporary engraving) Paladino, F.V.; Spotila, J.R & Dodson, P. (1999): A blueprint for giants: modeling the physiology of large dinosaurs. The Complete Dinosaur. Bloomington, Indiana University Press. pp. 491–504. ISBN 978-0-253-21313-6. Rieppel O, de Braga M (1996). "Turtles as diapsid reptiles" (PDF). Nature. 384 (6608): 453–455. Bibcode: 1996Natur.384..453R. doi: 10.1038/384453a0. S2CID 4264378. While modern reptiles are predominantly carnivorous, during the early history of reptiles several groups produced some herbivorous megafauna: in the Paleozoic, the pareiasaurs; and in the Mesozoic several lines of dinosaurs. [43] Today, turtles are the only predominantly herbivorous reptile group, but several lines of agamas and iguanas have evolved to live wholly or partly on plants. [106]Regular shedding – Reptiles shed their skin continuously throughout their lifetimes. Shedding tends to be the most frequent during the adolescent phase, because the skin doesn’t actually grow in proportion with the body. The frequency of the shedding tends to decrease once the reptile reaches adulthood. At that point it’s mostly shed to maintain good health. Phylogenetic classifications group the traditional "mammal-like reptiles", like this Varanodon, with other synapsids, not with extant reptiles