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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.
Amphibian Species of the World 6.2: An Online Reference (ASW) is a herpetology database. It lists the names of frogs, salamanders and other amphibians , which scientists first described each species and what year, and the animal's known range.
The world's smallest known vertebrate, Paedophryne amauensis, sitting on a U.S. dime.The dime is 17.9 mm in diameter, for scale. The word amphibian is derived from the Ancient Greek term ἀμφίβιος (amphíbios), which means 'both kinds of life', ἀμφί meaning 'of both kinds' and βίος meaning 'life'.
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 .
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]
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 93 reptile and amphibian species in the United States are threatened with extinction. [1] The IUCN has classified each of these species into one of three conservation statuses: vulnerable VU, endangered EN, and critically endangered CR.
Caecilians in the Eastern Himalayas are colloquially known as "back ache snakes", [64] while in the Western Ghats, Ichthyophis tricolor is considered to be more toxic than a king cobra. [ 65 ] [ 66 ] Despite deep cultural respect for the cobra and other dangerous animals, the caecilian is killed on sight by salt and kerosene. [ 65 ]
This is a checklist of American reptiles found in Northern America, based primarily on publications by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). [1] [2] [3] It includes all species of Bermuda, Canada, Greenland, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, and the United States including recently introduced species such as chameleons, the Nile monitor, and the Burmese python.