Names of Reptiles in English with Pictures • 7ESL

Reptiles are fascinating creatures that have been around for millions of years. They come in many shapes and sizes, from tiny geckos to giant crocodiles. Learning about reptiles not only adds to your English vocabulary but also gives insight into their role in our world.

Contents

Reptiles Names

Crocodile
Alligator
Turtle
Terrapin
Snake
Worm Lizard
Tortoise
Caiman
Gavialis
Tuatara
Lizard
Chameleon
Skink
Gecko
Iguana

List of Reptiles with Facts and Pictures

Crocodiles

Crocodiles consist of large reptiles that live partially in waters in the Americas, Australia, Africa, and Asia. They are distinguishable from alligators in that they have a V-shaped snout.

Alligators

There are only two species of alligators alive today, the American alligator (Alligator mississippienis) and the Chinese alligator (Alligator sinensis). Unlike crocodiles, they have a U-shaped snout and overhanging teeth that fit into the lower jaw.

Turtles

The Eastern box turtle (Terrapene carolina carolina) is just one of several (six) species of box turtle. It inhabits the eastern United States to the Great Lakes region and Texas.

Terrapins

The term “Terrapins” used to refer to any aquatic turtles, but now almost always refers to Malaclemys terrapin, or the Diamondback Terrapin. This species favors inland saltwater bodies of water and lives in marshes, estuaries, and lagoons.

Snakes

Snakes are a group of reptiles that are notable for their lack of arms and legs. There are a total of 3,900 species of snake worldwide, inhabiting every continent except Antarctica.

Worm Lizards

Worm lizards are several species of lizard that belong to the family Amphisbaenia and have no arms or legs. Worm lizards have right lungs that are reduced in size, whereas true snakes have smaller left lungs.

Tortoises

The term “Tortoise” is used differently worldwide; in general, however, the category colloquially refers to slow-moving, hard-shelled, long-living species of the Testudines family. Some tortoises have been known to live for over 150 years, with records surpassing 250 years.

Caimans

Caimans are smallish, short-snouted crocodilians that inhabit the Caribbean, Central, and South America. Their diet changes in composition as they age, but they can eat insects, lizards, amphibians, mammals, fish, and snakes.

Gavialis

The reptile group Gavialis consists of two species: the gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) and the false gharial (Tomistoma schelegelii). These species are long-snouted crocodilians that eat mostly fish, frogs, and crustaceans.

Tuataras

Tuataras are two species of reptiles that inhabit New Zealand and its surrounding islands. They are related to a family of reptiles that existed 200 million years ago — but whose members all but went extinct 60 million years ago.

Lizards

Members of the Draco genus of reptiles are the only lizards that are known to “fly”. In actuality, they do not fly — but use their ribs (and the membrane between them) to glide from tree to tree.

Types of Reptiles

There are four main types of reptiles with each group containing numerous species. The groups are known as Crocodilia, Sphenodontia, Squamata, and Testudines.

The Crocodilians are a family of reptiles that consists of alligators, caimans, crocodiles, and Gavialis (gharials). The Sphenodontia are a family of reptiles that consists of two species of tuataras found in New Zealand.

The Squamata family of reptiles consists of various species of lizards, snakes, and worm lizards. The Testudines are a family of reptiles that contain turtles, terrapins, and tortoises.

What Are Reptiles?

Reptiles are a class of vertebrate animals that share similar characteristics such as scaly skin, cold-bloodedness, and the ability to lay eggs. They are found in all regions of the world except for the polar and tundra regions, those of extremely low temperatures.

Reptiles are ectothermic, meaning that they depend on sunlight and heat for their metabolism and energy. It follows that most reptile species are found in warm climates with abundant sunlight, such as deserts, rainforests, and tropical regions.

Reptiles are distinguished from mammals in that they do not have hair or give birth to live young, and also are not warm-blooded. Although some reptiles live mostly in or around water, reptiles are different from amphibians in that their young do not go through metamorphic growth stages.

The earliest known reptile, Hylonomus lyelli, originated about 312 million years ago. Reptiles are closely related to birds and more distantly related to mammals.

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Liam Daniel

Liam Daniel is a dedicated English teacher who has been part of the 7ESL team since 2017. With a passion for visual learning, she leads the content creation team, specializing in developing engaging images and infographics for 7ESL.