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Copyrighted Material 1 1 Taxonomy and Introduction to Common Species Bob Doneley ­Taxonomy lizards), Gekkota (the geckos, the blind ­lizards and the legless lizards), Iguania (including the Class Reptilia is one of the largest groups agamids, chameleons, iguanas, anoles, collared of vertebrates, with over 10,000 species. It lizards and the neotropical ground lizards), is also the oldest, evolving some 310–320 Platynota (varanids and Gila monsters) and million years ago during the Carboniferous Scincomorpha (including skinks, tegus, plated period. They share several common charac- lizards and spiny‐tail lizards). Most are omniv- teristics: all are covered with scales or scutes orous or carnivorous. They are primarily ovip- and are ectothermic. Most lay amniotic eggs arous, although some are ovoviviparous. (oviparity), although some are live bearers Serpentes has two infraorders: (viviparity, including ovovivaparity). They may Alethinophidia (including the boas, pythons, be carnivorous, omnivorous or herbivorous. vipers, elapids, colubrids, file snakes and Class Reptilia is made up of four orders: ­rattle snakes) and Scolecophidia (the Squamata, Testudines, Crocodilia and blind snakes). All snakes are carnivorous. Rhynchocephalia (Table 1.1). Each order is Most are oviparous, although some are further divided into sub‐orders, families, ovoviviparous. genera and species. Amphisbaenia has five families found in the northern hemisphere, Africa and South Squamata America. They are largely legless squamates with rudimentary eyes capable of only detect- Squamates are characterized by their scaled ing light (two species have rudimentary fore- skin, which is shed periodically (ecdysis), limbs). Their skin is loosely attached to the and a moveable quadrate bone that allows body, and appears to be their means of locomo- the maxilla to open wideCOPYRIGHTED relative to the rest tion; theMATERIAL skin moves and ‘drags’ the body behind of the skull. The order is divided into three it. They are carnivorous, with strong jaws sub‐orders: Lacertilia (the lizards), Serpentes and interlocking teeth. Most species lay eggs, (the snakes) and Amphisbaenia (the worm although some are known to be ovoviviparous. lizards), although some classifications place Amphisbaenia within Lacertilia. Testudines Lacertilia has five infraorders based mainly on morphological similarities between family Testudines, sometimes known as Chelonia, groups. These are the Diploglossa (including are the turtles, tortoises and terrapins. They the glass lizards and the American legless are characterized by a bony or cartilaginous Reptile Medicine and Surgery in Clinical Practice, First Edition. Edited by Bob Doneley, Deborah Monks, Robert Johnson and Brendan Carmel. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Published 2018 by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Chapter No.: 1 Title Name: Doneley 0003177513.INDD 0003177513.INDDComp. 1 by: R. RAMESH Date: 07 Nov 2017 Time: 03:16:44 PM Stage: Printer WorkFlow:CSW Page Number:11/7/2017 1 3:16:44 PM 2 Reptile Medicine and Surgery in Clinical Practice Table 1.1 Reptile orders. Order and sub‐order Common name Species (n) Squamata Squamates 9,671 Lacertilia Lizards 5,987 Serpentes Snakes 3,496 Amphisbaenia Worm lizards 188 Testudines Turtles, tortoises and terrapins 341 Crocodylia Crocodiles, gharials, caimans and alligators 25 Rhynchocephalia Tuataras 1 shell developed from their ribs. There is New Zealand. There is debate as to whether some confusion in the terminology. In North S. guntheri is a separate species. They are America, ‘turtle’ is used to describe the whole slow‐growing, reaching sexual maturity at order, while in Europe and Australia it refers 10–20 years, and breed until they are at least to freshwater and sea‐dwelling chelonians, 60 years old. It takes the female between one with ‘tortoise’ used to describe terrestrial, to three years to develop eggs and up to seven non‐swimming species. ‘Terrapin’ is a term months to form the shell. It then takes between used to describe several small species of tur- 12 and 15 months from copulation to hatch- tle living in fresh or brackish water. Terrapins ing. Thus, reproduction occurs at two‐ to five‐ do not form a taxonomic unit and are not yearly intervals, the longest of any reptile. closely related. There are two suborders of Tuatara lack external ears and possess a Testudines: the Pleurodirans (three families), parietal eye (a light‐sensitive spot located on also called the side‐necked or long‐necked the top of the animal’s head, thought to play a turtles, have long necks that are folded side- role in setting circadian rhythms). They are ways to align them with the shell; the capable of autotomy and have only rudimen- Cryptodirans (eleven families), or short‐neck tary hemipenes. Tuatara have unique denti- turtles and tortoises, pull their neck straight tion, namely two rows of acrodont teeth in back to conceal their head within the shell. the maxilla and one row in the mandible. Sea turtles are Cryptodirans, although they have lost the ability to retract their heads. Commonly Kept Species Crocodylia Crocodylia, an order of large, predatory, Key semi‐aquatic reptiles, is divided into three The following abbreviations are used in this families: Crocodylidae (the true crocodiles), section: Alligatoridae (the alligators and caimans) d, days and Gavialidae (the gharial and false G, gestation gharial). I, incubation m, months Rhynchocephalia O, oviparous OV, ovoviviparous Rhynchocephalia is a primitive order of lizard‐ PBT, preferred body temperature like reptiles that includes only one living spe- y, years cies, the Tuatara (Sphenodon punctatus) of 0003177513.INDD 2 11/7/2017 3:16:44 PM Taxonomy and Introduction to Common Species 3 Tables ●● Table 1.2 Lizards ●● Table 1.6 Snakes ●● Table 1.3 Geckos ●● Table 1.7 Turtles ●● Table 1.5 Chameleons ●● Table 1.8 Tortoises Figure 1.1 Bearded dragons (courtesy of Bob Doneley). Figure 1.2 Blue‐tongued skinks (courtesy of Bob Doneley). 0003177513.INDD 3 11/7/2017 3:16:45 PM 0003177513.INDD 4 Comp. by:Comp. R. RAMESH Chapter No.:1 Chapter Table 1.2 Lizards. Title Name: Doneley Name: Title Thermal Relative Date: 07Nov2017 Date: Sexual Mode of Incubation or gradient humidity Longevity Reptile Origin Species Habitat Diet maturity reprod. Gestation (°C) PBT (°C) (%) (years) a Bearded Australia Most common: Terrestrial Omnivorous, 9–24 m O (I) 61–74 d 28–40 35 25–40 10–15 dragon inland or central (Pogona although the at 30–31 °C Time: 03:16:44 PM Time: (Figure 1.1) vitticeps) juveniles are (P. vitticeps) eastern (P. barbata) initially blacksoil (P. henrylawsoni) insectivorous but dwarf (P. minor) will eat vegetables Others include: and flowers as they grow Stage: Printer western (P. minima) northwest (P. mitchelli) Nullarbor (P. nullarbor) Kimberley (P. microlepitoda) b WorkFlow: Blue‐ Australia eastern (Tiliqua scincoides Terrestrial Omnivorous 18–36 m OV (G) 3–5 m 28–32 25–35 25–40 10–15 tongued scincoides) (higher skink pygmy (T. adelaidensis) for CSW (Figure 1.2) centralian (T. multifasciata) inland blotched (T. nigrolutea) species) western (T. occipitalis) Shingleback Australia Also known as bobtail lizard Terrestrial Omnivorous 18–36 mc OV (I) 4–5 m 36–40 25–45 25–40 10–15 (T. rugosa) Frilled Australia Chlamydosaurus kingii Primarily Primarily 12–18 m O (I) 60–90 d 32–37 28–38 50–70 10–15 lizard arboreal insectivorous but (male) will accept some to 2–3 y vegetables (female) a Depending on species (small species mature younger than larger species). 0003177513.INDD b Male matures earlier than female. Page Number:Page 4 c This species forms close pair bonding and should be paired before sexual maturity. 11/7/2017 3:16:45 PM 0003177513.INDD 5 Comp. by:Comp. R. RAMESH No.:1 Chapter Title Name: Doneley Name: Title Date: 07Nov2017 Date: Table 1.3 Geckos. Sexual Mode of Incubation or Thermal Relative Longevity Reptile Origin Species Habitat Diet maturity reprod. Gestation gradient (°C) PBT (°C) humidity (%) (years) Time: 03:16:44 PM Time: Leopard Pakistan, Eublepharis Terrestrial Insectivorous 1 y O (I) 45–60 d 21–32 26 20–40 6–10 (large gecko northern India macularius males can and Asian desert live up to 20) regions Stage: Printer Tokay North‐east Two species: Gekko Arboreal Insectivorous 1–2 y O (I) 60–100 d 27–28 25–31 55–80 10–20 gecko India, Nepal, gecko gecko and Indonesia and G. g. azhari the Philippines WorkFlow: Knob‐ Australia 9 species; most Terrestrial Insectivorous 7–12 m O (I) 57–70 d 20–30 26 Keep one 7–8 tailed commonly kept: (N. levis) end of the (N. levis); CSW gecko three‐lined 77–94 d enclosure 9–11 (Nephrurus levis) (N. amyae) moist (N. amyae) central rough (N. amyae) Crested New Caledonia Correlophus ciliatus, Arboreal Insectivorous 6–9 m (male) O (I) 60–90 da 21–29 Heat 50–70 15–20 gecko also known as the 12 m (female) intolerant New Caledonian crested gecko, Guichenot’s giant gecko or eyelash gecko 0003177513.INDD a At room temperature; up to 120 days at cooler temperatures. Page Number:Page 5 11/7/2017 3:16:46 PM 0003177513.INDD 6 Comp. by:Comp. R. RAMESH Chapter No.:1 Chapter Title Name: Doneley Name: Title Table 1.4 Chameleons. Date: 07Nov2017 Date: Sexual Mode of Incubation or Thermal Relative Longevity Reptile Origin Species Habitat Diet maturity reprod. Gestation gradient (°C) PBT (°C) humidity (%) (years) Veiled Saudi Arabia (Chamaeleo Arboreal Insectivorous 1 y O 120–270 d 24–35 – 50–60 4–8 chameleon and Yemen calyptratus), also but will take by day Time: 03:16:44 PM Time: (Figure 1.3) known as the some vegetables Yemen chameleon and fruit Panther Madagascar
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