Family CheloniidaeSea turtles

Class Reptilia – Order Testudines

6 out of 7 species have a hard outer carapace

All sea turtles have evolved for the marine environment Dorsoventrally flattened

(aquadynamics) Paddle-like arms and legs for swimming

Breath air, but are capable of anaerobic respiration

Most species are endangered

Characteristics – Sea Turtles

Leatherback Sea Turtle

• Herbivorous and omnivorous

• After hatching on on beaches all turtles find their way to pelagic zones where they float in beds of sea weeds, after three to five years they return to the continental shelf at which they were born.

Chelonia mydas – Green Sea Turtle Among the largest sea turtles

Up to 700 lbs.

~6 ft. in length

Live upwards of 80 years

Herbivorous adults – Sea grasses and algae Thought to be responsible for their greenish

fat from which their name is derived

Tropic and sub-tropic marine environments Circumglobal

Endangered due to human activity Hunting

Fishing

Chemical pollution

Habitat destruction

Family Corytophanidae

Casquehead lizards

Characteristics - Casquehead lizards

Class Reptilia – Suborder Lacertilia

Moderately sized lizards

Found in forests from Mexico to Ecuador

Laterally compressed bodies

Well developed crests Used in defensive displays

Lateral side faces threat in order to appear larger

Unlike relatives their tails are unable to break off Essential as a counter

balance for a specific type of movement

Basiliscus vittatus – Brown/Striped Basilisk

Tropical and subtropical wet, moist, and dry forests Panama, Belize, Columbia, and Costa Rica

Can reach up to 61 cm in length

Three crests along head, body, and tail

Usually brown with black stripes

Primarily feed on insects

Sometimes referred to as the “Jesus Lizards” Can run 10-20 meters across the surface of

water

Younger/smaller basilisks can run further and farther than older/larger

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpXHpXKZtws

Female

Male