Crocodiles and alligators are two different species. This means that they are unable to mate together to produce offspring. This is largely because the DNA counts of each animal are different. One way to tell if two animals can mate is to take a look at their latin names. If the first part of their latin name is the same then they can breed. For example a tiger or “panthera tigris” and a lion, “panthera leo” can breed and have a liger.
Do Iguanas Hibernate?
Typically it is rare for iguanas to hibernate, and most do not hibernate at all unless it is necessary for some reason. Each species has what is known as a preferred optimum temperature range or POTR. This temperature range is when the iguana’s body’s organ system works the most efficiently. Temperatures that are significantly above or below the desirable range can preclude the iguana to environmental and metabolic stress and as a result can end in death if the problem is not corrected.
Species like the iguana deal with abnormally high or low environmental temperatures in their natural environment by altering their habits. Diurnal animals have been known to rest during the day and only come out at dawn or evening. Crepuscular animals may come out a bit earlier or later. Some animals may even attempt to burrow underground or in under substances where the temperature and humidity are less affected by the ambient surface and air temperatures. Many species will take part in a partial hibernation in which the animal in question will sleep for the duration of the extremely hot, cold, wet, or dry whether helping to conserve energy resources and body fluids until the weather becomes more tolerable. In this case, you may hear of the words aestivate (referring to summer) and brumate (which refers to winter).
Iguanas typically have a POTR anywhere from 74 degrees to88 degrees Fahrenheit and require a basking temperature of 88 degrees to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If you are suspicious that your iguana may not be acting normally then the following signs to look for include the following: attempts to burrow away in the coolest place in the enclosure, lethargy, anorexia, tonic rigidity or loss of tonicity, sleeping for longer periods of time, failure to adequately rouse or respond when disturbed, and the darkening of skin color.
If you notice your iguana experiencing any of these signs it is best to speak to your exotic veterinarian about getting your iguana in for a complete physical examination that will include bloodwork, radiographs and a fecal exam.
Are Snakes Blind?
There is an old myth that snakes are blind or go blind during the dog days of August. The truth is that like most reptiles, snakes must shed their skin in order to grow. To help the old skin slide off, a grayish-white lubricant is secreted underneath the old skin. This liquid is visible under the clear scale that protects the eye, often making it look clouded over or milky. This is caused from the separation of the outer layer of the epidermis from the anterior part of the outer coat of the eyeballs. This does in fact impair the snake’s vision in some ways, although snakes are not known to shed any more in August than in any other summer month, shedding blindness is the probable origin of this myth.
Furthermore, by nature snakes are not blind. They do have functional eyes but their vision can and does vary greatly depending on the species. Interestingly enough, even if a snake’s eyes are injured or become blinded later on in life somehow, a snake will not seem to be handicapped. They are still able to easily find their prey and catch them with the same precision with which they normally would, even when they have fully functional eyes. This is due to their forked tongue and keen sense of smell. Their tongue being forked enables the snake to use each of the forked parts to smell the prey individually. This is why snakes are often seen throwing their tongues out of their mouths, it is helping them to find the smell of their prey. A snake may shed its skin several times in the course of a year, and grow fastest in warm weather.
Can Lizards Swim?
Most lizards are usually equipped with four legs with five toes on each foot. This enables them to run very fast and also makes them able to swim. However, although lizards are able to swim, doing so can put stress on their bodies. Warm water is best suited for a lizard to swim in, considering that they are cold blooded creatures that get their heat from their surroundings. Watching a lizard closely though is a good idea as small lizards such as anoles can get tired very easily from swimming and have even been known to drown in some cases. As a good rule of thumb it is good to make sure that the water never goes past a lizard’s shoulders, no matter what type of lizard it is.
Interestingly enough, known to exist also is a tiny lizard known as the sandfish. This marvelous lizard moves through sand by literally diving under the surface of the ground as if it were swimming. They tuck their legs up next to their bodies and move in an undulatory wave resembling fish through water. Another interesting thing known about these creatures is that they can go slightly faster in tightly packed sand, as long as they vary the frequency of the wave created by the movement of their bodies.
Starting above the surface, these animals dive into the sand within half a second or so and once below the surface of the sand, they no longer use their limbs for propulsion. Rather, they move forward by propagating a traveling wave down their bodies such as a snake would. The large amplitude waves over the entire body are unlike the kinetics of other undulatory swimming organisms mentioned before that are the same size as the sandfish. This creature demonstrates that both burrowing and swimming in complex media such as sand can have intricacy similar to that of movement in air and/or water, and that certain organisms can exploit the solid and fluid-like properties of these particular media to move effectively and efficiently within them. This is astounding!
Are Lizards Warm Blooded or Cold Blooded?
With a few exceptions all reptiles such as the lizard are cold blooded creatures. The temperature of an animal’s blood (whether an animal is warm blooded or cold blooded) is related to its body temperature.
Cold blooded creatures such as the lizard take on the temperature of their surroundings. In other words, they are hot when their environment is hot and cold when their environment is cold. In hot environments, cold blooded animals can have blood that is much warmer than warm blooded animals. Cold blooded animals are also much more active in warm environments and are very sluggish in cold environments. This is because their muscle activity depends on chemical reactions which run quickly when it is and slowly when it is cold. Cold blooded creatures such as the lizard can covert much more of its food into body mass compared to warm blooded animals.
Whereas many warm blooded animals sweat or pant to lose heat by water evaporation and can cool off by moving into a shaded area or getting wet, cold blooded animals such as the lizard often like to bask in the sun to warm up and increase their metabolism. While basking, these reptiles will be found lying perpendicular to the direction of the sun to maximize the amount of sunlight that falls onto their skin. In addition to this they will expand their rib cage to increase their surface area and will darken their skin to absorb even more heat.
When a lizard is too hot it will like parallel to the sun’s rays, go into a shady area, open its mouth up wide and lighten its skin color or burrow into the cool sand. Most reptiles such as the lizard have been known to hibernate occasionally during the cold winter months. Whereas warm blooded animals are able to remain active, seek food and defend themselves in a wide range of outdoor temperatures, cold blooded animals such as the lizard lack this ability and are only able to do so when they are warm enough. A cold blooded animal’s level of activity depends upon the temperature of its surroundings. A lizard will increase its body temperature before hunting and it is better able to escape from predators when it is warm. These creatures also need to be warm and active in order to find a mate and reproduce.
Do not be fooled however, being cold blooded does have its advantages as well. For instance, cold blooded animals require much less energy to survive than warm blooded animals do. Mammals and birds (warm blooded creatures) require much more food and energy than do cold blooded animals of the same weight. This is because in warm blooded animals, heat loss from their bodies is proportional to the surface area of their bodies, while the heat created by their bodies is proportional to the surface area of their bodies, the heat created by their bodies is proportional to their mass.
Furthermore, the ratio of a body’s surface area to its mass is less the larger the anima is. What this means is that larger, warm blooded animals are able to generate more heat than they lose and more easily able to keep their body temperatures stable. This in turn also makes it easier form them to stay warmer by being larger. This also means that if a warm blooded animal is toop small it will lose its heat faster than it can produce it. Since cold blooded animals don’t need to burn as much food to maintain a constant body temperature, they are more energy efficient and can survive longer periods of time without food than warm blooded creatures can. Many cold blooded creatures will try to keep their body temperatures as low as possible when food is scarce.
Cold blooded creatures also have the advantage of being less prone to infections than warm blooded animals. This lies in the fact that being a warm blooded body provides a warm environment for viruses, bacteria and parasites to reside. As a general rule, mammals and birds since they are warm blooded, are usually prone to more problems with infections and such than reptiles, whose constantly changing body temperature make life more difficult for bacteria, etc. to survive in.
Mammals do however; still have a stronger immune system than cold blooded animals. A reptile’s immune system is more efficient when the animal is warmer, however since bacteria are known to most likely grow slower in lower temperatures, reptiles will sometimes lower their body temperatures when they have an infection.
Are Crocodiles Reptiles or Amphibians?
Crocodiles are not amphibians. They are reptiles. Crocodiles are reptiles that belong to the group known as crocodilians. The group of crocodilians also consists of reptiles such as the alligator, caiman, and gharial. Crocodilians are large animals with long, lizard like bodies with short pairs of legs. They have a lizard type shape and long snouts. Their hides are tough and scaly and their teeth are very sharp.
These crocodilians are water dwelling animals that prefer to live in large bodies of shallow water, sluggish rivers, and/or open swamps. They are equipped with webbed feet so that they can walk easily on the soft, wet ground. Their strong, long tails enable them to swim and move easily about in the water.
For food, crocodilians eat small animals such as birds, fish, and rodents which they swallow whole. Occasionally large crocodiles may attack large animals and/or humans. The saltwater and nile crocodiles of Africa are the largest species as well as the most vicious. They are killers that have been known to sometimes even leave the water to attack a human being. It is said that crocodiles keep on growing until they die, which in turn makes them difficult to keep as pets.
There are four reptile orders in existence today. Crocodilia refer to animals such as crocodiles and alligators. Squamata refers to lizards, snakes and other similar creatures. Turtles are categorized into the Testudines order and the order of Rhynchocephalia contains only two species known as tuataras, which are native to New Zealand.
Reptiles and amphibians are distantly related to one another and have quite a few similarities. However there are still many differences that can be found between the two. These differences can often be distinguished from each other based off of physical appearance and the different stages of life.
The word amphibian literally means “living double lives”. This refers to creatures who are living two lives: one in water with gills and the other on land once they grow lungs with age. Amphibians are vertebrates and cold blooded. Early amphibians were the first animals to leave sea and eventually venture onto land.
Whereas the word reptile means “to creep stealthily under cover of darkness” this group of animals has scales, breathe air and usually lay eggs. Most reptiles live on land and reproduce by laying eggs.
Amphibians breathe under water through gills until they develop lungs later on in life, whereas reptiles such as the crocodile are born resembling miniature adult crocs with already working lungs ready to breathe air from day one. An amphibian’s skin texture is smooth, moist and rather sticky. It is laden with mucuous glands and although most amphibians have lungs most breathe through their skin and the lining of their mouths. Reptile’s skin is dry and scaly. Amphibians usually have to stay near water sources to prevent drying out whereas reptiles do not. Crocodiles actually have a muscular diaphragm that pulls part of the pelvis back and brings the liver down, thus freeing space for the lungs to expand. This type of diaphragmatic setup is known as the hepatic piston.
Amphibian’s eggs are soft and covered by a gel. They do not have a hard protective covering and are usually found in water or damp places. Reptiles lay amniotic eggs with hard leathery surfaces. They usually lay these eggs on land or keep them inside of their bodies until they are ready to hatch.
Both amphibians and reptiles are equipped with ways to defend themselves against predators. Amphibian’s have toxic skin secretions and are known to bite. They do not however have claws or nails. Reptiles such as the crocodile do have claws, as well as whipping tails that can really do some damage. They are also obviously known to bite, and some even have venom.
Reptiles originated around three hundred and some odd million years ago during the Carboniferous period, having evolved from advanced reptile-like amphibians that became increasingly adapted to life on dry land. Unlike amphibians, reptiles do not have or require an aquatic larval stage. Interestingly enough, it did not become known until around the nineteenth century that reptiles and amphibians are two different types of animals.
Are Iguanas Cold Blooded or Warm Blooded?
Iguanas are from the lizard family. These reptiles are cold blooded creatures that live in the deserts and tropics. If an iguana were warm blooded they would become too hot in the hot weather, but since they are cold blooded creatures they are able to keep themselves cool fairly easily.
These creatures are not very easy to care for and often die in captivity. If the proper temperatures are not reached within an iguana’s habitat this particular creature will be unable to digest its food properly and will most likely eventually die. After an iguana eats, temperatures of at least 85 degrees are required in order to properly digest food.
Each species has a preferred optimum temperature range (POTR) which refers to the temperature range in which these creature’s body organ systems work the most efficiently. Iguana’s usually have a POTR of 74 to 88 degrees Fahrenheit with a basking requirement of 88 degrees to 95 degrees Fahrenheit. If you have an iguana as a pet and it doesn’t seem to be acting normally than you should look for the following symptoms that may suggest brumation (winter) or aestivation (summer) hibernation: attempts to burrow away in the coolest place in the enclosure, lethargy, failure to adequately rouse when disturbed, anorexia, tonic rigidity, sleeping for long periods of time, and darkening of skin color.
If your iguana shows any of these symptoms you should talk to your exotic veterinarian immediately. Scheduling a physical examination for the pet to include bloodwork, radiographs and a fecal exam may also be necessary.
Are Turtles Born With Shells?
Turtles are born with a shell, although in the first days after hatching their shell is usually a lot softer because their bones are not calcified all the way yet. Once fully grown however, turtles and/or tortoises have hard, protective shells that are made up of 59 to 61 bones that are covered by plates called scutes.
Scutes are made of keratin, the primary substance that is found in hair, nails and hooves of other animals, but the turtle’s shell is part of its skeleton. Similar to bones, these plates grow along with them as they continue to age.
There is a great difference in the protection that a turtle’s shell provides depending on the breed. Some turtles such as the American and Asian box turtles are equipped with a hinge on the lower shell that allows them to go inside of their shells and then close up the front and rear openings.
The American mud and musk turtles also have hinges, but theirs do not completely close up. Aquatic turtles such as the cooters, sliders, map and painted turtles have large protective shells, but do not possess hinges. Their flesh is exposed, front and rear, and even when the turtles are completely tucked in.
Snapping turtles are not protected very well by their shells. The lower shell in particular is tiny and does not even begin to cover the animal. These creatures are shy and naturally not inclined to look for trouble, however if threatened they will put up a fierce fight and can cause some damage.
Softshell turtles have leathery shells with a type of thick skin rather than the hard scutes that other turtles have. They mostly stay hidden in water most of the time and use camouflage for protection against predators. They are also very quick to bite if necessary as a way to protect themselves.
A turtle’s outer shell is similar to that of a human’s fingernails, as it is made up of a thin layer of keratin. However contrary to what some believe, underneath the layer, there is a layer of bony plates (scutes) that give the shell its shape. The ribs and backbone (vertebrate) are a part of this shell too. So removing this shell would in turn remove part of the skeleton of the turtle. What this means is that a turtle cannot take off its shell.
Do Iguanas Eat Crickets?
Contrary to what many people may think, animal protein is quite harmful to iguanas. Crickets will not necessarily harm an iguana a great deal unless fed to them on a regular basis, however since these reptiles are herbivores things such as crickets are not a necessity within their diet and would be better off just being avoided altogether. The important thing is to make sure that your iguana is getting enough calcium and nutrients. Some pet owners have been known to give their iguana, crickets once a week that are covered in a calcium dust to help add an additional amount of calcium to their diet but as mentioned before, iguanas are better off not eating insects or other food sources that include animal protein.
Iguanas in the wild are herbivores that only eat mature leaves of trees as well as some flowers, fruits, and berries. This diet is difficult to reproduce with iguanas who are kept in captivity because many of the plant varieties in different climate areas are actually toxic to the reptile. This is a lot of misinformation available about what iguanas eat which can lead to premature death in these marvelous creatures.
This is why it is so important to understand a few factors when considering an iguana’s diet and its physiology. An iguana’s teeth are designed to clip off leaves, not to chew or bite, due to this fact, food must be chopped up very small. To maintain good health, an iguana also needs a careful balance of calcium and phosphorous with a 2 to 1 ration. Iguanas who are not given this correct balance often are diagnosed with metabolic bone disease and is a common case of death in many captive iguanas.
The bulk of this creature’s diet should consist of greens such as turnips, collard greens, mustard greens and/or dandelions. Other non-staple greens that can be used from time to time include kale, spinach, chard, and carrot tops. However these should be fed sparingly and in moderation. Fresh vegetables such as green beans, squash, peas, asparagus, carrots, and parsnips are great for iguanas. Avoid regular feeding of things such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, etc. these are better served as a treat from time to time.
Wild iguanas eat little fruit as too much fruit can be the cause of diarrhea. Citrus fruits such as tomatoes, grapefruit, and oranges are too acidic for the iguana and should be fed only on rare occasions or not at all.
Can Turtles See in the Dark?
Contrary to what some people may believe, turtles are able to see in the dark. However, they are not able to see much better than we humans can. Nocturnal animals and reptiles such as geckos, cats and owls are more likely to be better adapted to see better in the dark. Most turtles and humans are diurnal creatures and most active during the day which means that we are all more adapted to see when the sun is there to help illuminate everything.
Turtles have color vision with many cone subtypes with sensitivities ranging from the near ultraviolet to red. Most turtles that spend most of their lives on land have their eyes looking down at objects in front of them. Some aquatic turtles such as the snapping turtle or soft shelled turtles have eyes closer to the top of their head. These species can hide from predators in shallow water where they have been known to lie entirely submerged except for their eyes and nostrils. Sea turtles possess glands in their eyes that produce salty tears that help rid their body of excess salt that is taken from the water that they drink.
