Humans find the class Reptilia very fascinating as they are one of the most diverse groups of animals, the spectrum of their physical attributes and behaviors is really broad.
You will find a lot of misunderstandings and myths about reptiles today but they are less than in the past because now we know more about these creatures and their lives.
Interesting Reptile Facts
1. More 8,000 species of reptiles live everywhere on the planet, except Antarctica.
2. "Cold-blooded" is not the right word. Their blood is not cold just they are ectothermic, and heat their body from external sources because they do not have an internal regulator of body temperature as humans do.
3. Reptiles are one of the longest-lived species on the Earth. Aldabra tortoise can live for more than 150 years. Some popular pet reptiles like ball pythons can live up to 40 years.
4. Only 2 percent of all snakes are harmful to humans.
5. The most popular venomous Australian snake is the inland taipan and there are more poisonous snakes than any other place in the world.
6. Americans die from bee stings more than from snake bites.
7. Snakes eat large meals compared to their body size and can go months without eating because their metabolisms is much slower than ours.
8. Most reptiles do not like the cold except the Blanding's turtle which lives under the ice in the Great Lakes region.
9. Snakes and lizards don't smell through their noses, they flick their tongues to collect scent particles in the air and hunt for food. They have a Jacobson's organ to decipher the air.
10. The African egg-eating snake swallows whole eggs and then use tiny "spikes" which it has in its spine to crack the egg then regurgitates the egg shell in a neatly folded piece.
11. Chameleons do not change their color, they are naturally camouflaged , predominantly green they only change their brightness by darkening or brightening their skin when they need to regulate their temperature or when they are frightened or angry.
12. Snake skulls consist of many small bones which are connected in a flexible fashion, not like a human skull, which is solid. That