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Reptiles are defined as a vertebrate animal of a class that includes snake, lizards, turtles and tortoise. And they are distinguished by having dry scaly skin and typically laying soft-shelled eggs on land. Some of the examples of reptiles are lizards, Turtles, Snakes, Chameleons, Dinosaurs, Crocodiles, Scaled reptiles, Geckos, Skink, Sauria, Diapsid, Plesiosauria and also there are many other examples of reptiles. They have little changes compared to other reptiles from the very first appearance, that is 200 million years ago. They have a protective shell called a carapace. It covers their body and provides camouflage. The turtle shell is composed of two parts . The earliest known proto-reptiles originated around 312 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, having evolved from advanced reptiliomorph tetrapods which became increasingly adapted to life on dry land. The earliest known eureptile "true reptile"was Hylonomus, a small and superficially lizard- like animal. Reptiles are found all over the world, except in very cold areas. The greatest number and variety are in the hot, humid tropics. Snakes and lizards live in many different kinds of places. They can live on land, in trees, in underground tunnels, or in water. Most turtles live in water but spend some time on land. Tortoises live only on land. Alligators and crocodiles spend most of their time in water, but they can make short trips on land. Reptiles have different ways of protecting themselves from their enemies. Rattlesnakes shake their tail rattle when they feel threatened. A cobra spreads its neck to look bigger. Some turtles hide in their shells. Crocodiles, turtles, and some lizards and snakes hiss loudly. Most reptiles bite when threatened. Alligators, crocodiles, and most lizards hear fairly well. Snakes and turtles have trouble hearing. Instead they can feel vibrations in the ground. Some reptiles have poor eyesight. This is true of snakes and lizards that tunnel underground. Reptiles produce amniotic eggs, which differ from those of amphibians by having special membranes and a shell that help prevent the embryo from drying up in a terrestrial environment where moisture levels may be low. It was owing largely to their amniotic eggs that reptiles became the first vertebrates to adapt completely to life on land.
