Reptiles and Birds

What were some things that they have in common?

Snakes• Nearly 2/3 of snakes are non-venomous

• Less than 2% are considered harmful to humans

• Jacobson’s organ• A snake’s skull is made up of several

connected bones• Snakes have between 100-400

vertebrae

Northern Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix mokasen)

• 32 species of snake found in TN, the copperhead is 1 of the 4 that is venomous

• Average length of 30 inches

• Are crotalids, which are pit vipers

• Prefers to live in wooded area with rocky outcroppings near a body of water

• When disturbed they usually freeze up rather than evade

• Sometimes produce a cucumber like smell when touched

Dendroaspis polylepisBlack Mamba

• Fastest snake in the world• Can move at 12mph

• Lives in Africa• Average length of 2.5 meters, can

grow up to 4.5 meters• A single bite can kill 10-25 men!• Fastest acting venom in the world

• Can kill a human in 20 minutes

Coral Snakes vs. King Snakes

Coral snakes-large group of elapid snakes-venomous

King snakes-large group of calubrid snakes-non-venomous

Batesian Mimicry

Family Boidae• ancient family of snakes

• Have vestigial pelvic girdles that are partially visible as spurs

• Feed by a process of constriction

Boa constrictor (Boa constrictor)• Can grow up to 13ft and weigh up to

60lbs• Can be found from Northern Mexico

through South America

Common snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

• Widest distributed freshwater turtle in N. America• Very common in Tennessee River system

• Can weigh up to 45lbs with shell length up to 18 inches

• Can live up to 40 years

• Prefer soft, warm, muddy bottoms with lots of vegetations

• Opportunistic feeders

• Must leave water to lay eggs

Loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta)

• Grow between 34-47 inches, 170-350lbs

• Endangered species

• can be found in Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans, and the Mediterranean Sea

• Come back to beach where they were hatched to lay eggs• Florida is a very active nesting ground

(over 67,000 nests built per year)

• Endangered species• Hunted for food, get trapped in gillnets,

artificial lighting

• Temperature dependent sex determination

Leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

• Can grow up to 6 and half feet long and weight up 2,000lbs

• Only sea turtle that lacks hard, bony shell

• Most common off shores of South America and Africa

• Can dive up to 3900ft

• They have pointed tooth-like cusps and sharp edged jaws that are perfectly adapted for a diet of soft-bodied jellyfish

• Critically endangered species

Eastern glass lizard (Ophisaurus ventralis)

• Superficially similar to a snake but…• Have moveable eyelids• External ear openings• And inflexible jaws

• Can grow between 18-43 inches long

• Get their name because the often “shatter” when caught

Gliding Lizards!

• There are 28 species of lizard of genus Draco, found in Sri Lanks, India and Southeast Asia

• Wings are supported by their rib bones

• Also use wings as form of communication

• Common in rainforests Black-bearded Gliding Lizard (Draco melanopogon)

• Glides 5m for every 1m lost

• Feeds on ants, termites and small invertebrates

• Female lays only 2 eggs per clutch

Komodo dragon (Varanus komodoensis)

• Largest lizard in the world• average length of 2 to 3 metres (6.6 to 9.8 ft)

and average weight of 70 kilograms (150 lb).

• Live in an around Indonesia

• Prey on invertebrates, birds and mammals

• Can detect rotten meat from 4–9.5 kilometres (2.5–6 mi) away.

• Live in savannahs and grasslands

• Can swallow small goats whole

• Slow metabolism allows them to be able to eat as few as 12 times a year

• Saliva is full of bacteria and contains venom

• Can have offspring from mating two years previous

Lyrebird_Unbeleivable_Jungle_Bird_Mimics_Bird_and_Human_Sounds.mp4

Lyrebird

• 2 species of ground-dwelling Australian birds• Superb Lyrebird (Menura novaehollandiae)• Albert’s Lyrebird (Menura alberti)

• most elaborate syrinx of any of the Passerines

• Performs courtship dances…can last up to 43 minutes!

• When in danger they run rather than fly

• Have elaborate tails used in mating rituals

• A group of lyrebirds is known as a musket

WoodpeckersOrder: Piciformes

• over 180 species of woodpeckers

• can be found on every continent other than Australia

• The woodpecker's strong, pointed beak acts as both a chisel and a crowbar to remove bark and find hiding insects

• Has very long tongue (some up to 4 inches long)

• Has two toes pointing in each direction

• Many have stiffened tail feathers to help support body

Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)

European starling (Sturnus vulgaris)

• member of the Passerine family

• Insectivorous

• Flocking bird

• Population of over 200 million in North America

• Brought over by the Acclimation Society of North America (thanks Bill Shakespeare)

• Are a nuisance…take over native bird nests