What is Squamata?
Q: What is Squamata?
A: Squamata is an order of reptiles that includes lizards and snakes.
Q: What kind of skin do animals in the order Squamata have?
A: They have skins with overlapping horny scales.
Q: What special bones do animals in the order Squamata have?
A: They have movable quadrate bones that make it possible to move their upper jaw relative to the braincase.
Q: How do snakes use their movable quadrate bones?
A: Snakes use their movable quadrate bones to open their mouths very wide to accommodate comparatively large prey.
Q: How big can animals in the order Squamata grow?
A: Animals in the order Squamata can range from the 16 mm Dwarf gecko to the 8 m Green Anaconda.
Q: What is unique about the group Squamata in terms of reproductive strategies?
A: Squamata is the only living reptile group that has both viviparous and ovoviviparous species in addition to the usual oviparous reptiles.
Q: Which animals are not included in the group Squamata?
A: The Tuataras from New Zealand are not included in the group Squamata. They are a sister group to the squamates. The Crocodilia are much more distantly related.
