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All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Thus amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this.
Reptiles are tetrapod animals in the class Reptilia, comprising today's turtles, crocodilians, snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, tuatara, and their extinct relatives. The study of these traditional reptile orders , historically combined with that of modern amphibians , is called herpetology .
The decline in amphibian and reptile populations has led to an awareness of the effects of pesticides on reptiles and amphibians. [177] In the past, the argument that amphibians or reptiles were more susceptible to any chemical contamination than any land aquatic vertebrate was not supported by research until recently. [177]
There are over 6700 species of amphibians [9] and over 9000 species of reptiles. [10] Despite its modern taxonomic irrelevance, the term has persisted, particularly in the names of herpetology, the scientific study of non-avian reptiles and amphibians, and herpetoculture, the captive care and breeding of reptiles and amphibians.
These air-breathing vertebrates include a wide range of species. From the much-loved lizards and snakes to the hard-shelled turtles and tortoises who can live for decades (and some, centuries).
Linnaeus, working from species-poor Sweden, where the common adder and grass snake are often found hunting in water, included all reptiles and amphibians in class "III – Amphibia" in his Systema Naturæ. [8] The terms reptile and amphibian were largely interchangeable, reptile (from Latin repere, 'to creep') being preferred by the French. [9]
This is a checklist of amphibians found in Northern America, based mainly on publications by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. [1] [2] [3] The information about range and status of almost all of these species can be found also for example in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species site. [4]
Squamata is the largest order of reptiles, comprising lizards, snakes and amphisbaenians (worm lizards), which are collectively known as squamates or scaled reptiles. With over 10,000 species, [15] Approximate world distribution of snakes. Suborder Anguimorpha. Family Anguidae [16] Genus Abronia; Genus Anguis; Genus Dopasia; Genus Elgaria ...