266 SNAKEb, TUUTLEy, LIZAIUJS, C'RUfODILES 



Says Packard, "notwithstanding the fact that snakes 

 have no legs, they can creep, ghde, grasp, suspentl them- 

 selves, erect themselves, leap, dart, boiuid, swim, and dive." 

 All of which shows that tliey are ^^•onderfully tt'ell adapted 

 to their environments. 



Many lizards jjossess feet adapted to climbing trees. 

 The toes are long and end in cla\\'s esiiecially well adapted 

 to clinging to the hark of ti'ees. The Old World chameleons 

 have feet especially modified and adapted to clasping 

 branches because the)' spend their lives in trees. The 

 tongue of this lizard is I'eniarkabl}' well adapted to catching 

 insects. 



More remarkafile still, are the so-called flying dragons, 

 or dracos of the East Indies. The dracos huxe a horizontal 

 expansion of skin along each side of the liody which is sup- 

 ported by several of the posterior ribs. The.se animals, 

 from seven to eight inches in length, Mve in trees and are 

 constantly shooting through the air from tree to tree by 

 means of the side parachutes. Other lizards burrow in 

 the ground and have tlu-ir feet nio<hfied for digging. 



In considering the turtles, we find those that live in the 

 sea have paddlelike legs foi' swimming, while those living 

 partly on land and i)artl>' in the water have legs for walking, 

 but the toes are webbed for swimming, while those wholly 

 terrestrial have legs fitted for \\'alking and toes without 

 webs. 



The crocodiles and alligators are a(|uatic animals and 

 possess at least one A'ery reniarkalde adaptation for such 

 a life. Thei'e is at the l)ase of (he tongue a transverse 

 fold ^\•lli(■h, meeting a siiiiikii' fold on tlie palale, coiiipletely 

 shuts off tlie mouth froiii Ihe thi-o;it, lliiis pr(Venling (he 

 watei- entering the \\indpipe when (hey (h'own (hiir prew 



