REPTILIAN TUESDAY
Happy Tuesday! It’s Reptilian Tuesday and it’s the day where you get to learn all about reptiles! Reptiles get such a bad rap. 😦 They’re called scary, slimy and icky, but these animals are none of those things! Reptiles are very different from our mammal friends, but are just as amazing! So what does it take to make it as a reptile? Well let’s list some of their great characteristics!
These are the characteristics that make a reptile a reptile:
- Reptiles are cold-blooded (ectothermic). They cannot control their own body temperature; it is regulated by the animal’s environment.
- Reptiles are covered in scales.
- Reptiles lay eggs.
Can you name some of your favorite reptiles?
Ellie’s favorite reptile is the Loggerhead Sea Turtle and Edmond’s favorite is the Tokay Gecko.
For our first Reptilian Tuesday we are featuring a venomous reptile!
MEET THE GILA MONSTER!
Gila Monster at Zoo Atlanta
Range: South West US and Mexico
Habitat: Scrub and semi-desert and rocky outcrops near water
Diet: Carnivore: bird and reptile eggs and small mammals
Size: 14-20 inches
Conservation Status: Vulnerable
Fun facts:
- They are one of two venomous lizards in the whole world (the other is the Mexican Beaded Lizard.)
- They brightly colored to ward of predators.
- They have a forked tongue like a snake and it helps them “smell” for prey.
- They inject venom into their prey when they bite. They have special glands in their lower jaw that stores the venom.
- Their tails store fat so they can survive when food is scarce or when they hibernate in the winter.
- They are not harmful to humans, despite their bad reputation! So Gila Monsters aren’t so monstrous after all!
The Adventures of Ellie and Edmond 