CHAPTER IX 



REPTILES 



DURING their heyday many millions of years ago, 

 Reptiles presented an extraordinary abundance of 

 maritime and estuarine forms. Some of these 

 almost rivalled the largest whales in bulk, and in conformity 

 with their marine habitat often developed upon those 

 same lines which have made marine whales the supreme 

 monsters of the ocean world. The huge Mosausaurus 

 and many others could they have survived to-day would 

 doubtiess have been mistaken by most people for huge 

 cetaceans. To-day the marine Reptiles are reduced to 

 a mere handful. Only a single Crocodile, five Turtles, 

 a solitary species of Lizard, and some fifty kinds of Sea 

 Snakes are known. 



Marine Reptiles are essentially inhabitants of the warmer 

 waters, reaching their maximum developments both in 

 size and number of species in proportion to the heat 

 of their environment. Most of the marine species are 

 purely aquatic, and of the others the majority come ashore 

 only for the purpose of laying their eggs. 



In many a systematic review of Reptiles the Chelonians, 

 or Tortoises and Turdes, take pride of place. True 

 Turtles are all marine and the largest of them is the 



Leathery Turtle (JDermochelys coriacea). Like other Turtles 



171 



