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In many cases the cast skin peels backward over the body from head to tail, in one piece like an old sock. A new, larger, and brighter layer of skin has formed underneath. [ 5 ] [ 7 ] An older snake may shed its skin only once or twice a year, but a younger snake that is still growing may shed up to four times a year.
Lizard morphological and ecological diversity substantially increased over the course of the Cretaceous. [56] In the Palaeogene, lizard body sizes in North America peaked during the middle of the period. [57] Mosasaurs likely evolved from an extinct group of aquatic lizards [58] known as aigialosaurs in the Early Cretaceous.
Dibamidae or blind skinks is a family of lizards characterized by their elongated cylindrical body and an apparent lack of limbs. [1] Female dibamids are entirely limbless and the males retain small flap-like hind limbs, which they use to grip their partner during mating. [1] [2] They have a rigidly fused skull, lack pterygoid teeth and ...
The larvae – caterpillars – have a toughened (sclerotised) head capsule, chewing mouthparts, and a soft body, that may have hair-like or other projections, three pairs of true legs, and up to five pairs of prolegs. Most caterpillars are herbivores, but a few are carnivores (some eat ants, aphids, or other caterpillars) or detritivores. [2]
Squamata (/ s k w æ ˈ m eɪ t ə /, Latin squamatus, 'scaly, having scales') is the largest order of reptiles, comprising lizards and snakes.With over 12,162 species, [3] it is also the second-largest order of extant (living) vertebrates, after the perciform fish.
Unlike the scales of lizards and snakes, which are formed from the epidermis, scutes are formed in the lower vascular layer of the skin and the epidermal element is only the top surface [citation needed]. Forming in the living dermis, the scutes produce a horny outer layer that is superficially similar to that of scales.
Discarded exoskeleton of dragonfly nymph Exoskeleton of cicada attached to a Tridax procumbens (colloquially known as the tridax daisy)An exoskeleton (from Greek έξω éxō "outer" [1] and σκελετός skeletós "skeleton" [2] [3]) is a skeleton that is on the exterior of an animal in the form of hardened integument, which both supports the body's shape and protects the internal organs ...
The structure of lizard osteoderms is relatively simple. They have a deep layer of lamellar bone, and a more apparent layer of woven fibered bone. Over time these osteoderms become even more simplified. [17] Some lizards have different additional elements of the osteoderm that are accessories to the normal cranial elements.