Reptiles and amphibians are both cold-blooded , which means they cannot make their own body heat the way mammals and birds do. Instead , their body temperature rises and falls with their surroundings . This is why, on a cold morning , you might see a lizard lying flat on a sunny rock — it is basking to warm its body up before it has the energy to move quickly and hunt .
Being cold-blooded has a big advantage : these animals need far less food than warm-blooded animals of the same size , because they do not burn energy keeping warm . A crocodile can survive for months between large meals . The downside is that when it is cold they become slow and sleepy , so many reptiles and amphibians live in warm places or hide away during winter .
📷 JMK · CC BY-SA 3.0✨ Reptiles include snakes , lizards , crocodiles , and turtles . Their bodies are covered in dry scales or a tough shell .
Amphibians — frogs , toads , newts , and salamanders — have moist , smooth skin and usually need to live near water . The word amphibian means "two lives ", because most begin life in water as gilled young (like tadpoles ) and later change shape to live on land as air-breathing adults . Many amphibians can even breathe partly through their damp skin , which is why it must always stay moist .
📷 Shiv's fotografia · CC BY-SA 4.0🗂️ Sort each animal into the correct group.
Reptile Amphibian
Reptile Amphibian
Reptile Amphibian
Reptile Amphibian
Reptile Amphibian
Reptile Amphibian
💡 A simple way to remember : reptiles have dry scaly skin ; amphibians have smooth moist skin and usually start life in water .
🔗 Match each feature to reptiles or amphibians.
Amphibians Reptiles Amphibians Reptiles
Amphibians Reptiles Amphibians Reptiles
Eggs laid on land with leathery shells
? Amphibians Reptiles Amphibians Reptiles
Eggs laid in water, young breathe with gills
? Amphibians Reptiles Amphibians Reptiles
Some reptiles are remarkable survivors . The saltwater crocodile can hold its breath underwater for over an hour while waiting to ambush prey . The Komodo dragon is the world's largest lizard , reaching three metres in length and powerful enough to hunt deer . Tortoises , meanwhile , carry a bony shell that is part of their skeleton , and some live for well over 100 years .
✨ A gecko can walk upside down on a ceiling thanks to millions of tiny hairs on its toes that grip surfaces with a natural sticky force .
📷 Steve Jurvetson from Los Altos, USA · CC BY 2.0✍️ Fill in the words about these animals.
Both groups are _____ -blooded , so they bask in the sun to warm up. Reptiles have dry _____ , while amphibians have moist skin and start life in _____ .
cold scales water warm
🃏 Flip each card to learn about these cold-blooded creatures.
? Cold-blooded Body temperature changes with surroundings.
? Amphibian skin Smooth and moist — needs to stay damp.
? Reptile skin Dry and covered in scales or a shell.
? Metamorphosis in frogs Egg → tadpole → froglet → adult frog.
Tap each card to see the answer.
