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The ability and degree of regeneration in reptiles differs among the various species (see [111]), but the most notable and well-studied occurrence is tail-regeneration in lizards. [ 112 ] [ 113 ] [ 114 ] In addition to lizards, regeneration has been observed in the tails and maxillary bone of crocodiles and adult neurogenesis has also been noted.
A white-headed dwarf gecko with tail lost due to autotomy. Autotomy (from the Greek auto-, "self-" and tome, "severing", αὐτοτομία) or 'self-amputation', is the behaviour whereby an animal sheds or discards an appendage, [1] usually as a self-defense mechanism to elude a predator's grasp or to distract the predator and thereby allow escape.
In the second form, blood is not squirted, but is slowly emitted from the animal's body. This form appears to serve a deterrent effect, and is used by animals whose blood does not seem to be toxic. [1] Most animals that autohaemorrhage are insects, but some reptiles also display this behaviour. [2]
This cycle can repeat indefinitely, potentially rendering it biologically immortal. This organism originated in the Caribbean Sea , but has now spread around the world. [ 17 ] Key molecular mechanisms of its rejuvenation appear to involve DNA replication and repair , and stem cell renewal, according to a comparative genomics study.
Diving reptiles conserve heat by heat exchange mechanisms, whereby cold blood from the skin picks up heat from blood moving outward from the body core, re-using and thereby conserving some of the heat that otherwise would have been wasted. The skin of bullfrogs secretes more mucus when it is hot, allowing more cooling by evaporation.
Reptiles, from Nouveau Larousse Illustré, 1897–1904, notice the inclusion of amphibians (below the crocodiles). In the 13th century, the category of reptile was recognized in Europe as consisting of a miscellany of egg-laying creatures, including "snakes, various fantastic monsters, lizards, assorted amphibians, and worms", as recorded by Beauvais in his Mirror of Nature. [7]
The largest living species of turtle (and fourth-largest reptile) is the leatherback turtle, which can reach over 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) in length and weigh over 500 kg (1,100 lb). [9] The largest known turtle was Archelon ischyros , a Late Cretaceous sea turtle up to 4.5 m (15 ft) long, 5.25 m (17 ft) wide between the tips of the front flippers ...
One can attempt to identify the sex of a snake when the species is not distinctly sexually dimorphic by counting scales. The cloaca is probed and measured against the subcaudal scales. [67] Counting scales determines whether a snake is a male or female, as the hemipenes of a male being probed is usually longer.