Marine

coastlines of Central and South American and the Caribbean, though some do migrate long distances and have been known to travel as far North as Scan- dinavia. Sea are largely solitary animals, though some do form large, though often loosely connected groups during nesting season. Although only seven species are truly marine, many more live dwell in brackish waters.[2][3]

• Sea : the most abundant of the marine rep- tiles, there are over 60 different species of sea snakes. They inhabit the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans, though very . limited reports os sightings suggest they may be ex- tending into the Atlantic ocean. Sea snakes are ven- omous and their bites have been known to be fatal, 1 Overview though generally they only bite when provoked and often inject only a very small, non-fatal quantity of venom. Sea snakes are distinguished from terrestrial Marine are reptiles which have become secon- snakes by a vertically flattened tail.[2][4] darily adapted for an aquatic or semi-aquatic life in a marine environment. • : marine iguanas live only on the The earliest marine reptiles arose in the Permian pe- Galapagos Islands and are not fully adapted to ma- riod during the Paleozoic era. During the Mesozoic era, rine life. Although they feed exclusively on marine many groups of reptiles became adapted to life in the plants and spend a good deal of their time in the wa- seas, including such familiar clades as the , ter, they do nest on land and need to bask in the sun plesiosaurs (these two orders were once thought united to reach their ideal body temperature; they are thus in the group “Enaliosauria,”[1] a classification now cladis- also subject to terrestrial predators.[2][5] tically obsolete), , , placodonts, sea turtles, thalattosaurs and thalattosuchians. After the mass • Saltwater : none of the 23 extant species extinction at the end of the Cretaceous period, marine of crocodiles is truly marine, however, the saltwater reptiles were less numerous. ( porosus) does display adap- tations to saltwater inhabitation and dwells in the Currently, of the approximately 12,000 extant reptile brackish waters of Southeast Asia and Australia. species and sub-species, only about 100 of are classed Saltwater crocodiles dispose of excess salt in their as marine reptiles: extant marine reptiles include marine bodies through specialized salt glands. These ani- iguanas, sea snakes, sea turtles and saltwater crocodiles.[2] mals are the largest species of crocodiles, also mak- The Murua gharial was yet another example of a fully ma- ing them the largest of the reptiles—they can grow rine reptile, that became extinct rather recently. up to six meters in length.[2][6] Some marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs and mosasaurs, rarely ventured onto land and gave birth in the water. Others, such as sea turtles and saltwater 3 Conservation crocodiles, return to shore to lay their eggs. Some marine reptiles also occasionally rest and bask on land. Most species of marine reptiles are considered endan- gered to some degree. All but one species of sea tur- tles are endangered due to destruction of nesting habi- 2 Extant varieties tats on coastal lands, exploitation, and marine fishing[3]; many species of sea snakes are threatened or endangered • Sea Turtles: there are seven extant species of due to commercial exploitation (sale of skins) and pol- sea turtles, which live mostly along the tropical lution especially in Asia; marine iguanas are threatened

1 2 5 REFERENCES due to their very limited habitation range.[2] Saltwater crocodiles are at low risk for extinction.[6]

4 See also

• List of marine reptiles

• Salt gland

5 References

[1] Williston SW (1914) Water Reptiles of the Past and Present University of Chicago Press (reprint 2002). ISBN 1-4021-4677-9

[2] Rasmussen, Arne Redsted; Murphy, John C.; Ompi, Medy; Gibbons, J. Whitfield; Uetz, Peter (2011-11- 08). “Marine Reptiles”. PLoS ONE 6 (11): e27373. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0027373. PMC 3210815. PMID 22087300.

[3] Zug, George R. “Sea Turtle”. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved December 8, 2015.

[4] “Sea ”. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved December 8, 2015.

[5] “Marine Iguanas”. National Geographic. Retrieved De- cember 8, 2015.

[6] “”. National Geographic. Retrieved December 8, 2015. 3

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