Radical Reptiles

Summary
An introduction to the characteristics and history of the Class Reptilia.

Objectives
• Students will list the four groupings of modern day reptiles.

• Students will identify the common characteristics of reptiles.

• Students will recognize the history of reptiles and what may have happened to the dinosaurs.

Suggested Grades
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade

Excerpt
Reptiles belong to a class of animals called Reptilia which consists of over 12,000 different species. There are four major groupings:

a) turtles
b) tuataras
c) lizards and snakes
d) alligators and crocodiles

Lizards are the most numerous of the reptiles. Snakes are carnivorous and excel at hunting and eating prey. Many snakes have specialized adaptations for hunting such as heat-detecting organs, poison, flicking tongues, and loose jaws that allow them to swallow large prey items. Crocodiles and alligators are among the largest living reptiles. They spend most of their time in the water, but they keep their nostrils out to provide air to their lungs.

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