REPTILES: Reptiles are cold-blooded (ectothermic) animals with a backbone (vertebrates), tough skin with a covering of scales, and lungs for breathing. They cannot regulate their own body heat so depend on warmth from the sunlight to become warm and active. Most reptiles lay eggs although some give live birth. Reptiles include snakes, lizards, crocodilians, turtles, and tuataras.
AMPHIBIANS: Amphibians are cold-blooded (ectothermic) animals with a backbone (vertebrates) that have moist skin without scales. They cannot regulate their own body heat so depend on warmth from the sunlight to become warm and active. Most lay jelly-covered eggs but some give birth to live young. This group of animals includes newts and salamanders, frogs and toads, and worm-like caecilians. An amphibian begins life in water breathing through gills and eventually changes into a terrestrial adult through the process of metamorphosis.
