CHAPTER XII 



REPTILES 



Figure 125. — A Sea Turtle. 



126. Reptiles. — Among the Reptiles (rep'tflz) are in- 

 cluded lizards, snakes, alligators, turtles, and crocodiles. 

 The Reptilia (Latin, 

 repo, to crawl) are char- 

 acterized by a covering 

 of bony plates, or scales, 

 in the skin, by the ab- 

 sence of gills in the 

 adult stages, and by the 

 presence of lungs. 



127. Life History. — Unlike the amphibians, the reptiles 

 hatch directly into their adult form, only much smaller. 



The young snake just 

 out of the egg or the 

 young alligator just 

 hatched is recognized 

 by its resemblance to 

 its parents. 



There is no meta- 

 morphosis, as in the 

 frog. The reptiles lay 

 their eggs in protected 

 places and exhibit no 

 parental care for the 



Figure 126. — Horned Toad, a Lizard. 



Showing egg-capsules in which the 

 young are hatched. 



eggs or for the young. Some snakes hatch their young in 

 the body of the parent and the offspring are born alive. 



i If desired, this chapter may be omitted without affecting the sequence in 



the book. 



129 



