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Born to crawl

Reptiles (or reptiles) have exactlyThe same limbs as the most organized four-legged animals - mammals and birds. However, it is worthwhile to look at how the reptiles move, and they become humanly pitiful. Poor animals bend, constantly sorting out their small (in comparison with the trunk) limbs in order to move their heavy body and powerful tail (for example, lizards and crocodiles). Snakes, it seems, do not have anything else to do, like crawling on the ground forever.

Why do reptiles need mobility of the trunk and legs?

If you carefully consider the limba lizard (for example, a swish), you can notice its amazing similarity to the human hand: the forelimb has a shoulder, an elbow, a forearm, and even a hand with fingers, and the back has a hip, a shin and a foot. But anyway, and the extremities in reptiles are much less developed than in mammals, and can not permanently support their body in a suspended state above the ground. But this is what is necessary for normal movement or running. It should be noted that there are no runners among reptiles, not just horses, ostriches or cheetahs, but even the most ordinary domestic cat, and, as you know, the movement is life! Without movement or running it is impossible to catch prey, to escape from the enemy, to hide in time from weather, etc. The ability to deftly move is one of the "postulates" of quality of life. That is why reptiles, like any other living organism, need mobility.

Why does reptile need mobility of the head?

In principle, the answer will be the same as above: for a quality life. It is worth explaining. The fact is that reptiles, according to the laws of animal evolution, are a continuation of amphibians who have mastered the land. One of the main features that distinguish reptiles from amphibians is the presence of the cervical region. In other words, reptiles have a neck that allows them to turn their heads in different directions. This is very important for reptiles. For example, all the same quick lizard, after hearing any rustle or sound, instantly turns its head in the appropriate direction and visually assesses what is happening. If the lizard is in danger, it simply escapes and remains alive, and if there is a potential prey in front, the reptile instantly grabs it and does not die of hunger.

Briefly about the main

It is worth noting that the total mobility andthe ability to turn the head makes reptiles the most flexible animals in comparison with the same amphibians, as well as more or less mobile, but at the same time quite lightning hunters!

The viviparous lizard is an amazing creation of nature!

Zoologists refer this species to a huge familyreal lizards. This reptile has one characteristic, which is not characteristic of reptiles at all: it practically does not perceive low temperatures! It is this feature that allowed the viviparous lizards to feel great even in the northern regions of the Earth and beyond the Arctic Circle.

Where lives a viviparous lizard?

The habitat of this amazing creaturecovers almost all the forests of Eurasia: the reptile lives in Ireland and the UK, as well as in Kolyma, Sakhalin and even the Shantar Islands. But on this the distribution boundary of this species of lizard does not end. As already mentioned above, the reptile feels fine and beyond the polar circle.

What does a viviparous lizard look like?

Usually the body length of the reptile does not exceed 15 cm, butsometimes there are also larger specimens. The tail of the viviparous lizard is 11 cm long. Females differ from males with exclusive body coloration: in the first, the lower part of the body is light and colored yellowish or light green, while in the latter it has a red-brick hue. But not all viviparous lizards have the same color. There are among them and completely black specimens, and individuals with a pronounced brick or red shade. Despite such a different color, all viviparous lizards have longitudinal strips on their body. The color of the bands varies from gray to black.

Lifestyle of the viviporous lizard

The diet of this reptile is made by beetles,mosquitoes, earthworms and other small animals. The process of eating prey in a viviparous lizard is of genuine interest: it never chews food, because its small teeth are not adapted for this. The reptile simply keeps caught prey in the mouth until it stops resisting, and then swallows it whole. The lizard-borne lizard is an excellent swimmer! The ability to deftly dive and briskly dissect the water surface often saves reptiles life when it thus escapes from its enemies. With the onset of cold weather, the viviparous lizard goes into hibernation. Of course, this state is difficult to describe as hibernation, since for this species of lizard there is no complete anabiosis (stupor). The reptile pulls a burrow in the ground to a depth of 30 cm and spends the whole winter there. The reptilian leaves his winter dwelling with the first rays of the sun, appearing on the forest edges, when there is still snow. And all thanks to its amazing ability to easily tolerate low air temperatures! Unlike many of its relatives, this lizard does not suffer from short-term summer rains, does not hide in shelter on cloudy days, etc.

A unique way to multiply a viviparous lizard

As the name implies, this reptile does notlays eggs, and gives birth to live cubs. This is a rare type of reptiles, listed in the Red Book. Reptiles living on the territory of Russia, give birth to 12 cubs at a time. Pregnancy in females lasts up to 3 months, and the young usually appears by July.

Vision of the snake

Fairly speaking, snakes are not as blind asit is considered. Their vision varies greatly. For example, wood snakes have enough sharp eyesight, and the leading underground lifestyle can only distinguish light from darkness. But in the mass they are really blind. And in the moulting period, they can generally miss during the hunt. This is due to the fact that the surface of the eye in the snake is covered with a transparent cornea and at the moment of molting it also separates and the eyes become cloudy. However, the snake's lack of vigilance is compensated by the organ of thermal sensitivity, which allows them to track the heat radiated by the prey. And some reptiles can even trace the direction of the heat source. This body was called a thermoclinic. In fact, it allows the snake to "see" prey in the infrared spectrum and successfully hunt even at night.

Hearing of the snake

With respect to hearing, the claim that snakes are deaf,is fair. They lack the outer and middle ear and only the internal development of the organ of hearing almost polnostyu.Vmesto nature gave snakes high vibration sensitivity. Since they all touch the ground with their whole body, the slightest vibrations are very acutely felt. However, the sounds of the snake are still perceived, but in a very low frequency range.

The snake's sense of smell

The main organ of feelings of snakes is theirsurprisingly subtle sense of smell. Interesting nuance: when immersed in water or when buried in the sand, both nostrils are tightly closed. And what is even more interesting - in the process of smelling, direct participation takes a long bifurcated at the end of the language. With a closed mouth, it protrudes outward through a semicircular notch in the upper jaw, and during the swallowing hides in a special muscular vagina. Frequent vibrations of tongue snake captures microscopic particles of odoriferous substances, as if taking a sample, and sends them into the mouth. There she presses her tongue against the two holes in the upper sky - the Jacobson's organ, which consists of chemically active cells. It is this body that informs the snake chemical information about what is happening around, helping it to find prey or in time to notice the predator. It should be noted that snakes living in water have the same language that works underwater. Thus, snakes do not use language to determine taste in direct sense. It is used by them as a supplement to the body to determine the odor.