Iguana

1. Iguana Physiological traits: Long intestinal track, has to eat a lot to maintain osmoregulation, cold-blooded, very quick metabolism Behavioral traits: has dewlap to mate, whips enemies with tail, diurnal, tend to live alone, insectivorous, inflate themselves and stand on hind legs to appear larger, diurnal, Morphological traits: has “third eye”/great eye sight, can lose tail, green skin to camouflage (Wikipedia Co., 2009). The iguana, an evolved form of the lizuana took about 3 millions years to get at the species it is today. When the lizuana began to learn to climb trees, it began to spend more and more time in the trees. It then became part of it’s ecological niche. They slept up there, fed up there, hunted up there, and bathed in the sun up there. They began to grow features due to mutations and natural selection that allowed them to live in the trees efficiently. Over time, the iguana became to be. As it became more competitive in the trees, the iguanas had to come up with ways to seem more superior and scary. They blow themselves up with air and stand on their hind legs. They have also grown as a population to have enlarged dewlaps. These dewlaps are a sexual attraction for mates. The females will obviously pick the biggest, prettiest dewlap when shown, and these genes will then get passed on. It has come to the point today where most iguanas have this enlarged dewlap , Iguanas have also developed great eye-sight with the help from their “third eye”. This third eye lays deep in the their brain, but can pick up certain lights that help them see their predators and prey.

2. Lizard Physiological traits: Good coloured vision, long intestinal track, insectivorous/carnivorous Behavioral traits: Seek warmth and sunlight to help digest their food, younger ones feet closer to the ground and the older feed higher in trees. Inflate themselves and stand on hind legs to appear larger, diurnal Morphological traits: External ears, can detach their tails, if has colour, it is hidden underneath flaps of skin, camouflaged skin (Wikipedia Co., 2009). Lizards, also evolved from lizuanas, have came to be over millions of years. After the lizuana migrated into several different regions of the world, speciation occurred, where adaptations were made by each new species, the Iguana being one of them. Because it had moved into a region where there were already tons of other species, it had to adapt to fit it’s own unique niche. According to Gause, no two species can have the exact niche and survive. The lizard evolved to be able to camouflage with the ground, being dark browns or greys. They also are covered in dots and random designs to enhance their abilities to camouflage. For mating purposes, they like to have a bit of colour to attract the females, but it must be hidden to ensure it doesn’t attract predators. When it’s time to mate, they will stand tall and open their flaps of skin. The lizard has since this point evolved in many other directions, suiting their ecological niches.

3. Rectileosis Physiological traits: Kidneys one in front of the other, only one functional lung, long body short tail, cold blooded, insectivourous, smells with tongue Behavioral traits: moulting, nocturnal Morphological traits: Long skinny legless, carnivores, no eye lids, no external ears, forked tongue, covered in scales (Wikipedia Co., 2009). The legless lizard soon then developed into many other species that we know today as snakes, and the legless lizard even still roams the earth. It developed into the specific rectileosisspeices . The legless lizard had offspring that randomly received genes who allowed them to have longer bodies. Because these longer bodies helped them to climb trees, these specfic creatures had an advantage of finding more food faster. There particular creatures grew to be larger thanks to their advantage in nurtition. They also developped a process called moutling. This allowed them to shed their dead scaled, and have a new set grow underneath. This helped keep them healthy, resisting bacteria and diseases, and letting them live longer, and again, grow bigger. They also mutated to have no eyelids. They mutated to develop en enzyme that created a serum overtop of their eyeballs. This way, they can constantly be on the lookout of their prey, and predators. Their internal organs also shifted, placing one lung in front of the other, in order for them to have larger stomachs.

4. Boidea Physiological traits: Bear live young, 2 lungs, insectivorous, infrared sensitivity, long body, short tail, smells with tongue Behavioral traits: Nocturnal, land dwellers, molting Morphological traits: Remnants of limbs, small eyes, long skinny, no eye lids, no external ears, covered in scales, forked tongue (Science Encyclopedia, 2008) . The Boidea, a descendant from the rectileosis, attapted many of the same characteristcs.. This species, however, evolved to become more efficient in some ways. Not only does he not have any eyelids, but they evolved to form in their parathyroid gland, infrared sensitivity. This gland sends electrical shocks to the brain when it receives signals from the eyes when the snake looks at infrared light. Depending on the levels, the body will react in different ways. This has becoming extremely advantageous when it comes to hunting for their dinner. This specific species of snake bears live young instead of laying eggs. This is also advantageous because they don’t have to waste their time looking after the young.

5. Scolecophidia Physiological traits: One lung, one oviduct, insectivourous Behavioral traits: Nocturnal, land dwellers, moulting Morphological traits: Eyes are covered by scales; mouth s below or behind the nose, completely covered with scales (Wikipedia Co., 2009), hard to slither on smooth surfaces, brown or black or no pigment at all (Thompson, 2009). The scolecophidia are yet another species of snakes descending from the Rectileosis. This specific species has completely lost use of it’s eyes. Scales grow over their eye sockets, making them completely useless, not like they need them anyways. This species as well as many other use their tongues to smell their way around. This species in particular completely depends on their tongue and is mainly insectivourous. They’ve evolved mainly due to genetic drift, where they were on a piece of land that broke off and floated over to an island. At this island, there were very few mammals or reptiles, mainly on insects and birds. This meant that the snakes really had no use for their eyes and were able to depend on their tongues to find their food. Focuses on evolution

6. References • Ellis-Christensen, Tricia (2003-2009). What is a Legless Lizard?. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.wisegeek.com Web site: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-legless-lizard.htm • Marie-Elle, Thompson (2009). Blind Snakes. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.science.jrank.org Web site: http://science.jrank.org/pages/962/Blindsnakes.html • Science Encyclopedia, (2008). Boas-True Boas. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.science.jrank.org Web site: http://science.jrank.org/pages/981/Boas.html • Wikipedia. Co, (2009). BlindSnakes. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.en.wikipedia.org Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legless_lizard • Wikipedia. Co, (2009). Snakes. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.en.wikipedia.org Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snakes • Wikipedia. Co, (2009). Lizards. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.en.wikipedia.org Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lizard • Wikipedia. Co, (2009). Iguana. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.en.wikipedia.org Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iguana • Wikipedia. Co, (2009). Turtle. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from www.en.wikipedia.org Web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turtle