Educator Resources: Reptiles & Amphibians
Part of Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians.
Discover Reptiles and Amphibians
Can you spot the difference between a reptile and an amphibian egg? Learn how with this kid-friendly guide to our hall of cold-blooded vertebrates and their habits, behavior, and adaptations.
Leapin' Lizards
Introduce younger students to squamates and some of scaly lizards and snakes that are part of this group of animals. Then put their exhibit-designing skills to the test.
Scaly Surprises
Did you know that a snake's skin includes see-through scales that cover its eyes. Or that chameleons have sticky tongues to pull in their prey? Examine squamates and their remarkable adaptations.
Coloring Book
How does a Veiled Chameleon's body resemble its environment? What colors are a Burmese Python's spots? Use what you know about squamates to bring these drawings to life.
Lizards & Snakes Glossary
Adaptation (ad-ap-tay-shuhn)An evolutionary process through which species become better suited to its environment
Camouflage (ka-muh-flahj)Features, such as color pattern and morphology, that conceal an organism in its environment
Characteristic (kar-ik-te-ris-tik)A distinguishable feature of an organism
Chemoreception (kee-mo-re-sep-shun)The use of a sensory system to detect chemical cues in the environment
Crypsis (krip-sis)The concealment of an organism in its environment. Mimicry and camouflage are forms of cyrpsis.
Ecosystem (ee-koh-siss-tuhm)A system composed of organisms and their environment
Ectothermic (ek-to-thur-mic)Animals that control their body temperature by moving to warmer or cooler places in their environment. Ectothermic animals are less accurately referred to as "cold-blooded."
Extinct (ek-stingkt)Species with no living representatives. They are gone forever.
Fossil (foss-uhl)Remains or traces of an organism that have become mineralized, or turned to stone over time.
Habitat (hab-uh-tat)The place where an organism lives
Lizard (li-zerd)A common name for certain limbed or limbless squamates
Mimicry (mi-mik-cree)The close resemblance of an organism to another organism or object, giving it an advantage in its environment
Morphology (mor-fol-uh-jee)The physical structure of organisms
Predator (pred-ah-tur)An organism that hunts another for food
Prey (pray)An organism that is hunted by another animal for food
Snakes (snayk-s)One group of mostly limbless squamates
Species (spee-sheez)A particular kind of plant or animal. Members of a species can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.
Squamata (skwah-maht-a)A group of limbed and limbless lizards, including snakes
Venom (veh-nuhm)A variety of poisonous fluids that several groups organisms use when hunting or defending themselves
Vertebrate (ver-tuh-brit)Animals with backbones, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals