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Marine Reptiles

Marine reptiles, evolved from terrestrial ancestors, showcase remarkable adaptations for life both on land and in water. Four primary orders exist: snakes and lizards, crocodiles, tuataras, and turtles. These ectothermic creatures breathe air, have tough, moisture-retaining skin, and exhibit various reproductive strategies, including egg-laying and live birth. Species like sea snakes, marine iguanas, and sea turtles illustrate their diverse habitats and lifestyles. Explore their unique features, such as the venomous sea snake and the slow-maturing tuatara, highlighting the challenges they face in a changing environment.

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Marine Reptiles

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  1. Marine Reptiles

  2. Reptiles • First to move to land • Then some came back to water • 4 orders: • Snakes & Lizards • Crocodiles, etc • Tuataras • Turtles and tortoises

  3. Reptiles • Adapated to life on land: • Lungs • Skin--hard, prevents dessication, some have slimy coating • Aquatic ones hve legs/flippers for swimming • Are ectothermic • Lay eggs • Return to land to breed • except a few (mainly in cold areas--why?) • Larva look like miniature adults

  4. Sea Snakes • 55 species • In tropical Indian and Pacific Oceans • Flat body, tail like a paddle • 1-1.3 meters long • ovoviviparous: young start out in eggs in mom then she gives birth to live young • carnivorous→ eat fish, roe, etc • Venomous--can be fatal to humans • small mouth and not very aggressive • hunted for skins

  5. Marine Iguanas • Live on Galapagos Islands • Basks in sun a lot • Eats seaweed and algae • Population numbers decreased w/ last El Nino b/c algae was killed with warmer waters=no food, so iguanas died :(

  6. Saltwater Crocodile • Crocodylus porosus • Live in mangrove swamps and estuaries--Indian Ocean, Australia and some W. Pacific Islands • Live along the coast • 10m= longest, average is about 6m • most aggressive of all marine animals-- said to attack and eat people

  7. Alligators vs. Crocodiles • Alligators have a wider, rounder mouth • When jaw is closed only upper teeth exposed on an alligator while upper and lower can be seen on a crocodile (particularly the 4th lower tooth)

  8. Tuatara • Looks like a lizard but isn’t--its skeleton suggests it is the last of an ancient group of reptiles • Only found in New Zealand • Has a 3rd eye, just light sensitive, under the skin • Development is s l o w • eggs in mom for 10 months • eggs hatch after another year • not sexually mature until 20 years old! • Slow metabolism • Why might all this slowness make them more vulnerable?

  9. Sea Turtles • Herbivores • Flippers rather than legs • Can hold their breath for long periods of time to dive (but are air-breathing) • Most sea turtles are endangered

  10. Sea Turtle Reproduction • Females return to their natal beach (beach where they hatched) to lay approximately 100 eggs in a shallow nest • Sex of the eggs is determined by temperature • Eggs hatch after approx 50-70 days • Only 1-2 hatchlings will survive to adulthood

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