The reptiles are an ancient order which formed the ancestors of both birds and reptiles. They are characterized by being the only entirely scaly air breathing vertebrates, being cold blooded and most species lay eggs. Although in prehistory they were the dominant terrestrial group for millions of years, the modern class is represented by just four groups - crocodilia (containing crocodiles, alligators, caiman and gharial), sphenodontia (containing just the tuatara), testudines (containing turtles, tortoises and terrapins) and squamata (containing lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians). Squamata is by far the most diverse of these containing around 96% of the total of a bit over 10,000 species classically considered reptile. Many modern taxonomists place birds as a fifth group within reptilia, but as this site is already focused on birds, this page is purely for non-avian reptiles.
SQUAMATA: The Lizards and SnakesNote: Modern genetic research suggests that Snakes are nested within the group typically referred to as "lizards", however, here I retain Snakes separatetly for visual clarrity on what is otherwise a very complex set of cladistics.
LIZARDS
SNAKES
-Western Whip Snake (Hierophis viridflavus)
-Common Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis)
-Loggerhead Turtle (Caretta caretta)
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