The Four Groups of Reptiles

Reptiles are scale covered, air breathing, cold-blooded vertebrates. Then can be found in all types of habitats with the exception of the polar ice of Antarctica.

Reptiles are classified into four groups or orders known as Crocodilia, Squamata, Testudines and Sphenodontia.

Crocodilia

The crocodilia order is made up of 23 species of alligators, crocodiles, caimans and gharials. These species are from Australia, Africa, North and South America and Asia. Alligators within this order include the American Alligator and Chinese Alligator. Crocodiles species include the Nile Crocodile, Cuban Crocodile, Dwarf Crocodile, American Crocodile, Mugger Crocodile and the Smooth-fronted Crocodile, to list a few. Caiman species are the Spectacled Caiman, Black Caiman, Yacare Caiman and a few others. The gharials species include just that the Gharial.

Squamata

The squamata order is made up of over 7,000 different species of snakes and lizards. The lizards are organized into a suborder called Lacertilis and snakes into a suborder called Serpentes. Lizard groups include Chameleons, legless lizards, and blind lizards, Agamas, Iguanas, Geckoes, worm lizards, Gila monsters, spiny tail lizards, skins alligator and monitor lizards. Popular snake groups are constrictors, coral snakes, cobra and mambas snakes, pit vipers, sea snakes and Colubridae snakes.

Testudines

The testudine order is made up of 300 know species of tortoises and turtles. Turtle species include Box, Green Sea, Hawksbill Sea and Helmeted turtles. Along with Alligator snapping turtles, Leatherback turtles, Malayan Snail-Eating turtles, Pond Slider, River Terrapins and Stinkpot turtles. Tortoise species include the African Spurred tortoise, Big Headed tortoise, Desert, Chaco, Elongated, Cape and Asian Brown tortoise. There is also the Gopher tortoise, Leopard Tortoise, Malagasy Giant tortoise, Impressed tortoise and many more.

Sphenodontia

The sphenodontia order is the smallest order of reptiles. This order consists of two very rare species of tuataras, both from New Zealand. Tautaras are related to snakes and lizards, resembling mainly the lizard, and have been around since the end of the dinosaur era, 200 million years ago.