ANIMALS - REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS

An animal class is made up of animals that are all alike in important ways. Scientists have grouped animals into classes to make it easier to study them. There are many different animal classes and every animal in the world belongs to one of them. The six most important classes are mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.

REPTILES: Reptiles are cold-blooded (ectothermic) animals with a backbone, tough skin with a covering of scales and lungs for breathing. Most reptiles lay eggs although some give live birth. Reptiles include snakes, lizards, crocodilians, turtles and tuataras.

AMPHIBIANS: Amphibians are cold-blooded (ectothermic) vertebrates that have moist skin without scales. Most lay jelly-covered eggs but some give birth to live young. This group of animals includes newts and salamanders, frogs and toads and worm-like caecilians. Amphibian is a Greek word meaning “double life” which refers to the amphibian life cycle. An amphibian begins life in water breathing through gills and eventually changes into a terrestrial adult through the process of metamorphosis.