Reptiles Information
Question: Do you know the difference between turtles, tortoises, and terrapins?
Turtles live in water, tortoises live on land, and terrapins live in water and on land. Turtles and terrapins are omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plants. Tortoises are strictly herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. Lifes spans:
Read more on this site: Turtle vs Tortoise vs Terrapin: The Differences
Question: Do you know the difference between turtles, tortoises, and terrapins?
Turtles live in water, tortoises live on land, and terrapins live in water and on land. Turtles and terrapins are omnivores, meaning they eat meat and plants. Tortoises are strictly herbivores, meaning they eat only plants. Lifes spans:
- Turtles live 60-70 years
- Tortoises live extremely long lives of 100+ years
- Terrapins live 20-40 years
Read more on this site: Turtle vs Tortoise vs Terrapin: The Differences
Do you know how to recognize a venomous snake?
Venomous snakes in eastern Virginia are the copperheads and cottonmouths (water moccasins). They have vertical pupils, a heat-sensing “pit” near their eye (larger than the nostril) and a single row of scales under the tail. Non-venomous snakes have round pupils, no “pit” and two rows of scales under the tail. Other characteristics such as head shape, pattern and even defensive behaviors can be seen in venomous and non-venomous snakes, so using one of these things alone can be misleading.
What Makes Reptiles Unique?
Reptiles are air-breathing vertebrates covered in specil skin made up o scales, bony plates, or a combination of both. All regularly shed the outer layer of their skin. Reptiles are cold-blooded, meaning their temperature depends on their environment. They cannot stay warm on a cold day and cannot cool off on a hot day. Instead they move into the sun or shade as needed and they are inactive during colder parts of the year. Except for boas and pythons, they lay their eggs in a simple nest and leave.
Read more and view photos on this site: National Geographic Reptiles
Venomous snakes in eastern Virginia are the copperheads and cottonmouths (water moccasins). They have vertical pupils, a heat-sensing “pit” near their eye (larger than the nostril) and a single row of scales under the tail. Non-venomous snakes have round pupils, no “pit” and two rows of scales under the tail. Other characteristics such as head shape, pattern and even defensive behaviors can be seen in venomous and non-venomous snakes, so using one of these things alone can be misleading.
What Makes Reptiles Unique?
Reptiles are air-breathing vertebrates covered in specil skin made up o scales, bony plates, or a combination of both. All regularly shed the outer layer of their skin. Reptiles are cold-blooded, meaning their temperature depends on their environment. They cannot stay warm on a cold day and cannot cool off on a hot day. Instead they move into the sun or shade as needed and they are inactive during colder parts of the year. Except for boas and pythons, they lay their eggs in a simple nest and leave.
Read more and view photos on this site: National Geographic Reptiles
There are many types of reptiles in southeastern Virginia, including snakes, lizards and turtles. To learn more about these species and helpful hints on identification, refer to the additional resources below.
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