reptile: Quick Facts

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Last updated

Sep. 27, 2026

Facts

Also Known As	Reptilia

Photos and Videos

A painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) with a dark shell and red and yellow markings rests on a rock near water, surrounded by green aquatic plants.

common king snake

Five Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus) rest on a sandy bank beside green water, with vegetation at the edge.

black girdle-tailed lizard (Cordylus nigra)

A tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) with rough, spiky skin and a long tail rests on the ground near the entrance of a burrow, surrounded by grass and dirt.

Illustration showing specialized structures in lizards: the frilled lizard with its large neck frill extended, an anole displaying its red throat dewlap, a water lizard's dorsal sail, the fan-shaped toes of a fan-footed gecko, and the fringed toes of a fringe-toed lizard.

A Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis) walks through grassy terrain with green hills and scattered trees in the background on Komodo Island.

eastern diamondback rattlesnake

A bright green day gecko with red spots on its back rests on a branch, surrounded by dry leaves in Madagascar.

Fascinating facts about turtles

Close-up of a king cobra overlaid with question marks, a drawn crown, and an arrow pointing to the snake

What's the Difference Between Turtles and Tortoises?

Observe an anole change its skin colour for camouflage and fan its dewlap to mark possession or attract a mate

Watch green sea turtles hatch from eggs and head to the ocean to avoid predators

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Topics

dinosaur Ichthyopterygia anapsid Synaptosauria Synapsida Crocodylidae lepidosaurian lizard snake turtle fish insect Bird mammal chondrichthyan crustacean amphibian mollusk arachnid agnathan

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Key People

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Étienne de La Ville-sur-Illon, comte de Lacépède

French naturalist and politician

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus).

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Mute swan with cygnet. (birds)

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The bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus) is seen in Switzerland on December 2024

Animal Factoids

Lion (panthera leo)

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Lion (panthera leo)

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Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz