Page 30 - One Million Things: Animal Life - The Incredible Visual Guide
P. 30

Jackson’s
                   chameleon
                                  Male uses      REPTILES
                                horns to fight
                                 other males
                                over territory
                                                 Alligators, cobras, tortoises, and geckos are just some of the
                                                 animals found in this diverse group of vertebrates. Most reptiles
                                                 live on land, and all have tough, scaly skin that stops them from
                                                 drying out, even in hostile desert habitats. Many lay eggs with
                                                 leathery shells, although some produce live young. Reptiles are
                                                 ectothermic (cold-blooded). They bask in the Sun’s heat to warm
                            American alligator   up and seek shade to cool down.                                                   Mangrove snake



              Adhesive foot
               pads enable
               gecko to cling
                                                                                                                                3
                to any surface



                              Tokay
                                                                  1
                              gecko

                                                 Strong jaws snap
                                                   shut and teeth                                                        Powerful, flat-sided
                                                       grip prey                                                         tail lashes from side to
                                                                                                                         side to propel crocodile
                                                                                                                         through water



                                                                                                                            Green
                                                                      Nile crocodile
                                                          Komodo
                                                          dragon                                                            anolis

                                                                                                                               2
                          4      Corn snake















                                                                             Powerful limbs ending
                                                                             in sharp claws

                                                                                                  Pit organs detect
                                                                                                  heat given off by prey
                                                                                                  at night to create a        Toxic bacteria
                                                                                                  “heat picture”              in saliva cause
                                                                                                                            blood poisoning
                                                                                                                                   in prey
                                                                                    Royal python     Snake-necked turtle








                                                                                                          5
                                                                                               Desert tortoise
       28

                                                      (c) 2011 Dorling Kindersley, Inc. All Rights Reserved.


                                                                                                                                     12/1/09   12:15:55
   US_028_029_Reptiles.indd   28                                                                                                     5/11/08   10:24:29
   028_029_Reptiles.indd   28
   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35