A Snake is a Reptile Because:
Table of Contents
- Snakes have scaly skin
- Snakes are Cold-Blooded (not warm-blooded)
- Snakes lay eggs
- They don’t have hair
- They do have a backbone (also known as vertebrae)
- Snakes don’t have mammary glands
- Snakes have lungs and can only breathe air
Snakes are Not Amphibians
When debating the question, is a snake is a reptile, some may think that a snake is an amphibian, but amphibians are different in certain characteristics that separate them from reptiles. Amphibians won’t have any scales because amphibians need that smooth skin for the water. There are other characteristics that separate a reptile from an amphibian, such as the fact that amphibians have gills and lungs so they can breathe through the water and on land. Snakes can only breath the air on land because they only have lungs.
Snakes are Not Mammals
Snakes do not have hair like mammals do, nor do snakes have mammary glands as the female mammals do. Snakes also have scales, which mammals do not. Snakes also lay eggs, whereas most mammals do not lay eggs (there are two mammals left that do lay eggs – the platypus and echidna)
What is a Reptile?
A reptile is an animal that is also a cold-blooded and has a vertebrate (backbone), scaly skin, and they usually lay eggs. Types of animals under the category of a reptile include snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles, and tortoises.
Reptiles are all cold-blooded, meaning they control their body temperature through the environment. For example, if a snake got cold, they could lie in the sun or on the hot ground. Snakes can also go into a shaded area, or under a rock, if they get too hot and need to cool off. This is different from people that can sweat and cool down no matter the environment.
What Kind Of Reptile Is a Snake?
Is a snake a reptile? After reading this page, you are sure to have the answer, but going further, what kind of reptile is a snake? A snake is an animal that belongs to a group of animals called reptiles, but there are four main groups of reptiles: turtles and tortoises, lizards and snakes, crocodiles and alligators, and the tuatara. Reptiles have lived on Earth for hundreds of millions of years. The earliest known reptiles originated about 340 million years ago. Many species of reptiles have become extinct; they no longer exist. Dinosaurs are an example of reptiles that are extinct.
Today there are almost 9000 species of reptiles. Many reptiles spend most of their time on land, but some spend a great deal of time in the water. All reptiles have lungs for breathing. Unlike other reptiles, snakes have no arms or legs.
