California Reptiles Photography

alligator lizardcoast garter snakedesert tortoise
Southern Alligator LizardCoast Garter SnakeDesert Tortoise
gopher snakewestern diamonback rattlesnakered-sided garter snake 
Gopher SnakeNorthern Pacific RattlesnakeRed-Sided Garter Snake
western fence lizardwestern fence lizard western pond turtle 
Sagebrush Lizard  Western Fence LizardWestern Pond Turtle 
western pond turtle  
Western Pond Turtle (young)  

 Information about Reptiles

Reptiles are defined as tetrapods and amniotes, which are animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane and members of the class Sauropsida. Today they are represented by four surviving orders:

  • Crocodilia (caimans, crocodiles, gharials, and alligators)
  • Sphenodontia (tuataras from New Zealand)
  • Squamata (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenids)
  • Testudines (turtles and tortoises)
Roughly 300 species of reptiles inhabit every continent except for Antarctica. Their main distribution comprises the tropics and subtropics. Though all cellular metabolism produces some heat, most modern species of reptiles do not generate enough to maintain a constant body temperature and are thus referred to as "cold-blooded" or exothermic. Except for a few members of the Testudines, all reptiles are covered by scales.
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