This lesson will cover the topic “Reptiles. Differences between reptiles and other animals. We will learn about the first true land animals - the order of Reptiles. They have adapted well to life on land, with the exception of a few. Let's look at the main differences between reptiles and other animals.
It consists of a head, torso, paired limbs with claws and long tail. In case of danger, some lizards can throw away their tail. The skin of a lizard is covered with scales, plates, and ridges. Their heads move well, their eyes have movable eyelids. Lizards react well to moving prey and they hear well. Lizards have small teeth and a tongue in their mouth. This tongue has a fork because it is perfectly adapted to hunting. It is also the organ of smell, touch and taste. Lizards have a varied diet.
Yellow Tummy and brittle spindle have no legs and look like snakes (Fig. 2, 3).
Rice. 2. Yellow Tummy ()
Rice. 3. Brittle spindle ()
Quick, green and viviparous lizard(Fig. 4-6) are the most common.
Rice. 4. Fast lizard ()
Rice. 5. Green lizard ()
Rice. 6. Viviparous lizard ()
The marine iguana has mastered the water element, where it feeds (Fig. 7).
Rice. 7. Marine iguana ()
Basilisks have a very terrifying appearance; they run on water as if on land (Fig. 8).
Rice. 8. Basilisk ()
The aga family includes the most bizarre lizards - the flying dragon (Fig. 9).
Rice. 9. Flying dragon ()
Moloch is impressive with its large and sharp spines (Fig. 10).
There are poisonous lizards, poison-toothed lizards (Fig. 11).
Gigantic monitor lizards live on Komodo Island (Fig. 12).
Rice. 12. Gigantic monitor lizard ()
Chameleons can change their color and body pattern (Fig. 13).
Rice. 13. Chameleon ()
The gecko can walk upside down (Fig. 14).
There is even a blue-tongued skink in nature (Fig. 15).
Rice. 15. Blue-tongued skink ()
Snakes They are also scaly reptiles. They have a long cylindrical body with a tail. The head is usually face-shaped or triangular in shape. Snakes have no legs, their body is covered with scales. Snakes move very well and crawl quite quickly. The eyes of snakes are covered with a transparent film; they see poorly and do not hear very well. Snakes have the same tongue as lizards. They have teeth. Some snakes are poisonous. Snakes are predatory animals. They also shed their skin and have a protective body coloration. Among the snakes there are those that strangle the victim, wrapping themselves around in rings. This is a boa constrictor and a python.
There are miniature blind snakes. They can even live in flower pot(Fig. 16).
Rice. 16. Blindsnake ()
The rattlesnake is known for its rattle at the end of its tail. This is a kind of warning about the appearance of this snake (Fig. 17).
Rice. 17. Rattlesnake ()
There are even two-headed snakes in nature (Fig. 18).
Rice. 18. Two-headed snake ()
There are completely harmless snakes - these are snakes (Fig. 19). In case of danger, they can pretend to be dead themselves.
And here common viper- viviparous snake (Fig. 20).
Very dangerous and poisonous taipan snakes (Fig. 21) and tiger snake(Fig. 22).
Rice. 22. Tiger snake ()
The cobra has a warning before an attack - a swollen hood (Fig. 23).
There are arboreal flying snakes. While in a tree, if necessary, they will jump straight down in search of prey.
There is another type of reptile - this turtles. There are about 200 species. The body of turtles is usually hidden under a powerful shell, their limbs and neck are keratinized, the shape of the head is pointed, and turtles have no teeth. In turtles color vision. In case of danger, the turtle hides all protruding parts of its body under its shell. Turtles can be herbivores and carnivores. In nature there are land, sea and freshwater turtles. The largest leatherback turtle belongs to the sea (Fig. 24).
Rice. 24. Leatherback turtle ()
People eat green turtle meat (Fig. 25).
Rice. 25. Green turtle ()
Sea turtles have flat limbs and do not retract them into their shells. These reptiles are excellent swimmers.
Land turtles less mobile. Among them there are long-livers. The sizes vary greatly. Very large sizes elephant (Fig. 26), and small ones - spider turtle (Fig. 27).
Rice. 26. Elephant turtle ()
Rice. 27. Spider turtle ()
The Central Asian turtle hisses like a snake (Fig. 28).
Rice. 28. Central Asian turtle ()
There are also freshwater turtles - this is the mata mata fringed turtle. Its appearance is very unusual (Fig. 29).
Rice. 29. Mata-mata turtle ()
Chinese Trionix belongs to soft-bodied turtles(Fig. 30).
Rice. 30. Chinese trionix ()
Snapping turtles are very biting and aggressive (Fig. 31).
Rice. 31. Cayman turtle ()
There are other representatives of reptiles - these are crocodiles. There are about 20 species of them in nature. Crocodiles are semi-aquatic animals, their skin is covered with scutes and plates. They have an elongated, long body. The muscular tail and webbed limbs provide excellent swimming in the water. Crocodiles see and hear well. They have powerful jaws With sharp teeth. Crocodiles swallow their food whole without chewing. The largest is considered saltwater crocodile, it can even attack a person (Fig. 32). Its weight reaches over one ton. The Chinese alligator is a symbol of power in its homeland, because it looks like a dragon. In China, it is believed that meeting a crocodile is good luck.
Caymans are water nurses.
Very unusual appearance in the Ghanaian gharial (Fig. 35). It has surprisingly narrow and long jaws that look like large tweezers. They help catch the most agile fish.
Rice. 35. Ghanaian gharial ()
Another order of reptiles found in nature is Beakheads. The most interesting thing is that it consists of only one representative, tuateria, which is found only in New Zealand. Hatteria has a peculiar body shape. In appearance, the tuateria is more like a lizard, its head has a tetrahedral shape, the head and entire body are covered with scales different shapes. There is a ridge of thorns on the neck, back, and tail. In addition to teeth, the hatteria has incisors, like rodents. The shape of the mouth is also unusual, similar to a beak. The most interesting thing is that this reptile has three eyes. The third eye is located on the head and is covered with thin skin. Hatterias are the most cold-loving of all reptiles (Fig. 36).
Rice. 36. Hatteria ()
During the lesson we were convinced that reptiles are amazing and interesting animals that rightfully occupy an important place in nature . Let's consider the most interesting representatives reptiles.
The most big snake- water boa Anaconda, 11 m 43 cm.
The most big lizard- monitor lizard from Komodo Island, up to 3 m in length, weighing up to 140 kg.
Most large crocodile- combed, up to 9 m in length, and its weight is approximately 1 ton.
The most big turtle in the sea it is leathery, about 3 m, and its mass is 960 kg.
On land, the largest turtle is the elephant turtle, 2 m long, weighing up to 600 kg.
The most poisonous snakes are taipan, black mamba, tiger snake, rattlesnake, sea snake.
The number of reptile species is decreasing, and humans are also to blame. Very often, a person, because of his fear, destroys and destroys these animals. It must be remembered that, like all living things, reptiles need to be protected and protected.
The next lesson will cover the topic “Ancient reptiles and amphibians. Dinosaurs." On it we will go on a long journey many millions of years ago and get acquainted with ancient reptiles and amphibians, the features of their structure and habitat. We will also learn about animals that became extinct many centuries ago - dinosaurs.
Bibliography
- Samkova V.A., Romanova N.I. The world 1. - M.: Russian word.
- Pleshakov A.A., Novitskaya M.Yu. The world around us 1. - M.: Enlightenment.
- Gin A.A., Faer S.A., Andrzheevskaya I.Yu. The world around us 1. - M.: VITA-PRESS.
- Mirzhivotnih.ru ().
- Filin.vn.ua ().
- Festival pedagogical ideas "Public lesson" ().
Homework
- What are reptiles?
- What features do reptiles have?
- Name four orders of reptiles and describe each of them.
- * Draw a picture on the topic: “Reptiles in our world.”
Reptiles
REPETTLES - theirs; pl. Zool. The name of the class of vertebrates, including snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles; reptiles.
reptiles(reptiles), class of vertebrates. Characterized by mixed blood circulation; They breathe through their lungs, their body temperature is not constant, and most of the skin is covered with horny scales or scutes (protection from drying out). Modern reptiles include: turtles, crocodiles, beaked reptiles (hatteria) and scaly reptiles (lizards, amphisbaenas and snakes). Over 8000 species, mainly in hot and warm belts. Most live on land, some in the seas. They feed mainly on animal food. They lay eggs, some are ovoviviparous and viviparous. The meat and eggs of some reptiles are eaten. Various products are made from the skin of snakes, lizards and crocodiles. The numbers of many species (especially turtles, snakes and crocodiles) are declining sharply. About 150 species and subspecies of reptiles are in the IUCN Red List. The most ancient reptiles appeared in the Middle Carboniferous. Having reached their heyday and enormous diversity in the Mesozoic (dinosaurs, pterosaurs, etc.), many groups completely died out by the end of the Mesozoic. Herpetology deals with the study of reptiles.
REPTIENTSREPTILES (reptiles; Reptilia), class of vertebrates (cm. VERTEBRATES); distributed on all continents except Antarctica. Reptiles are characterized by mixed blood circulation; they breathe through their lungs, their body temperature is variable, and most of their skin is covered with horny scales or scutes (protection from drying out). Currently, there are about 7-8 thousand reptiles, divided into 4 orders. These are turtles (230 species); scaly, the most numerous (about 6,500 species), which include snakes and lizards; crocodiles (22 species) and beaked crocodiles, represented the only kind- hatteria (cm. HATTERIA), living in New Zealand. Reptiles live mainly in hot and warm climate zones.
Reptiles are the oldest animals that first appeared in the Middle Carboniferous. Compared to amphibians, they represent the next stage in the adaptation of vertebrates to life on land. They are the first true land vertebrates, reproducing on land by eggs and breathing only through their lungs. Reaching in the Mesozoic (cm. MESOZOIC ERA) flourishing and enormous diversity (dinosaurs (cm. DINOSAURS), pterosaurs (cm. PTEROSAURS) etc.), many groups became completely extinct by the end of the Mesozoic. Herpetology deals with the study of reptiles (cm. HERPETOLOGY).
The body of reptiles is covered with scales, scutes or other horny formations and, in most species, lacks skin glands. They breathe atmospheric air. Body temperature is not constant, depends on temperature environment, the activity of animals also depends on it. Crocodiles and many turtles live in fresh water, some snakes and turtles live in the sea.
Most species reproduce by laying eggs, but there are also ovoviviparous and viviparous species. The eggs are enclosed in a hard calcareous (in turtles and crocodiles) or parchment-like (in lizards and snakes) shell that protects them from drying out. Incubation period- from 1–2 months to a year or more (for tuateria). They rarely care for their offspring. The overwhelming majority of reptiles are predatory or insectivorous animals. Some lizards (agamas and iguanas) are omnivores; land turtles feed mainly on plants.
In the 20th century, the number of certain groups of reptiles, especially turtles, snakes and crocodiles, sharply decreased due to the use of meat for food, skin and shells for the manufacture of various products, applications snake venom for medical purposes. To restore and preserve the number of reptiles, they are bred in captivity, breeding sites are protected, and fishing is prohibited.
Lizards, snakes, turtles and even crocodiles are kept in captivity. The soil in the terrarium (earth, sand, peat) and its moisture must correspond to the living conditions of animals in nature. For all animals, including desert dwellers, the terrarium must have pure water(in drinking bowls, ditches, pools). All reptiles need shelter; many species require humidity chambers. For normal life, they imitate natural temperature changes, length daylight hours. For this purpose, incandescent lamps and other devices are used, with the help of which during the day they heat the area familiar to the animals, which can accommodate all the inhabitants of the terrarium. At night the heater is turned off, which simulates a nighttime drop in temperature.
In the cold season, for several weeks or months, the length of daylight hours is reduced and the temperature of the housing is reduced. For animals living in nature in conditions temperate climate, imitate the wintering condition. The food is live frogs, small rodents, birds, worms, various insects, as well as carcasses of small animals, prepared in advance and frozen. Fish, squid, shrimp, snails, and less often meat are also used in feeding, and vitamins are also given. It is advisable to diversify animal food for carnivorous reptiles with plant food, and for herbivorous reptiles it is necessary to add animal food.
To obtain offspring in captivity, they practice various ways formation of breeding groups. The best option for turtles it is considered 2–3 males per 1 female, for lizards - 1–2 males per 3 females, for snakes - 2 males per 1 female. The female can be placed with a group of males or sequentially with several individual males only during the breeding season. Eggs or hatchlings are removed from the terrarium with adult animals. The eggs are kept in special incubators. The temperature and duration of incubation are different for different groups and species of reptiles.
encyclopedic Dictionary . 2009 .
See what “reptiles” are in other dictionaries:
Reptiles ... Wikipedia
REPTtiles, representatives of approximately 6,000 species of vertebrates, distributed throughout to the globe. Reptiles are poikilothermic (cold-blooded) animals. Most of them lay eggs rich in yolk on land. Some… … Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary
- (reptiles) class of vertebrates. Characterized by mixed blood circulation; They breathe through their lungs, their body temperature is variable, and most of the skin is covered with horny scales or scutes (protection from drying out). Modern reptiles include: ... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
Reptiles (Reptilia), class of vertebrates. The most ancient P. cotylosaurs appeared in the Middle Carboniferous and still retained in their structure features characteristic of Paleozoic amphibians (stegocephalians). Subsequently, P. were divided into 2 chapters. trunk... ... Biological encyclopedic dictionary
Reptiles Dictionary of Russian synonyms. reptiles adj. reptiles Dictionary of Russian synonyms. Context 5.0 Informatics. 2012… Synonym dictionary
REPETTLES, theirs, units. ongoing, ongoing, cf. The class of vertebrates that move predominantly. crawling or dragging their belly along the ground (snakes, lizards, crocodiles, turtles), reptiles. Dictionary Ozhegova. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 … Ozhegov's Explanatory Dictionary
- (Reptilia) class of vertebrates. The skin is covered with horny scales or scutes, breathing is exclusively pulmonary, the blood temperature is variable, the heart is three or four chambered, the arterial blood flow mixes with the venous one either in the heart, or... ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron
reptiles- reptiles, reptiles: they breathe only air; breed only on land; mixed circulation; Most skin is covered with horny scales; eat primarily animal food. turtles (land, freshwater, sea). hydromedusa... ... Ideographic Dictionary of the Russian Language
- (Reptilia) class of vertebrates. The skin is covered with horny scales or scutes, breathing is exclusively pulmonary, the blood temperature is variable, the heart is three or four chambered, the arterial blood flow mixes with the venous one either in the heart or... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Ephron
Often only snakes are considered reptiles, but this class includes animals such as lizards, chameleons and crocodiles.
Contrary to popular belief, reptiles, or reptiles, are not covered in mucus. In snakes and other representatives of this class, the body is covered with horny scales or scutes and is dry to the touch.
Scales are derivatives of the skin, but in some species they are almost invisible. In turtles, thickened scales form a hard shell; Crocodiles have more flexible armor. The scaly cover protects from predators and protects the body from drying out, but its functions are not limited to this. Some lizards have scaly frills, or ridges, that are raised during courtship or to ward off an enemy. Geckos can walk on the ceiling thanks to special brushes on their toes. The fringe of jagged scales on the toes of desert lizards plays the same role as snowshoes, allowing them to run on loose, shifting sand.
Large reptiles
The most major representatives dinosaurs were reptiles. But modern reptiles are certainly far from them. Today these are considered the Madagascar crocodile and Gangetic gharial, which reach a length of 9 m. Snakes such as pythons and anacondas are not so massive, but are comparable in length to crocodiles. From poisonous snakes the largest is living in the Asian tropics King Cobra, it reaches a length of 5.5 m and also has a bad temper. The most large lizard- This is a 4-meter Komodo dragon that can easily cope with pigs and other large prey. A leatherback sea turtle, swimming at a speed of 30 km/h, weighs about a ton.
cold-blooded animal
Unlike birds and animals, reptiles are cold-blooded animals, which means they do not have a mechanism for regulating body temperature, which changes with the temperature of the environment. When the air is colder than + 18°C, the vital activity of most reptiles decreases sharply; at a temperature of +51 °C they die from overheating. Reptiles are able to influence their body temperature to some extent. In the mornings they like to bask in the sun; in the midday heat they rise high on their feet so that the air cools their bodies. Some hide in the heat, while others cool down by breathing frequently. Coolness is associated with energy conservation. A rabbit weighing 1 kg spends 80% of the energy it receives from food to maintain body temperature and therefore must eat more than an iguana weighing 10 times more.
Snakes
If you carefully observe the snake, it will become clear that the absence of legs does not hinder it at all, and sometimes even helps. Snakes easily climb into holes and crevices, move over rough terrain and squeeze through dense thickets. To move quickly, snakes curl in an S-shape. But they can also smoothly slide forward, stretching out into a string and alternately pulling the scales on the ventral side up and forward. Many species can climb trees. Having climbed a tree, a snake can travel long distances, throwing itself like a bridge from branch to branch.
Do snakes lay eggs?
The structure of the egg is perfectly adapted for the initial stages of development of a living organism. Reptile eggs have a dense shell that protects the embryo from drying out and at the same time allows oxygen to pass through. The inside of the shell is lined thin shell, densely permeated blood vessels. This membrane plays the role of a respiratory and excretory organ. The shell protects the embryo from mechanical damage and temperature changes. The yolk is the food of the developing organism.
Despite all the benefits of the egg, some reptiles are viviparous. sea turtles and many other aquatic reptiles come out of the sea to lay eggs on land. However, their eggs and juveniles (and sometimes adults) become easy prey for terrestrial predators. Sea snakes, on the contrary, produce offspring in the ocean without being exposed to the dangers of traveling to land.
Why does a lizard lose its tail?
The tail of lizards, as a rule, serves as a rudder, allowing them to quickly change direction of movement. Lizards running on hind limbs, use the tail as a counterweight. Chameleons wrap their tails around tree branches, just like monkeys do. Some desert lizards have a tail equipped with spikes and serve as a weapon. Sometimes a lizard loses its tail to its advantage. When some predator grabs a lizard by the tail (which can be brightly colored), it breaks off, and its owner flees. The separated tail continues to wriggle, distracting the pursuer's attention from the fleeing victim. After 1-2 months, a new tail grows.
The care of most reptiles for their offspring is limited to the fact that they lay eggs in places favorable for their development, but then do not show any interest in them. Crocodiles are true crocodiles, alligators, caimans and gharials are exceptions. The female lays eggs in a specially dug hole or in a pile of earth and rotting leaves. Having made a clutch, she protects it throughout the entire incubation period, periodically turning the eggs to maintain an even temperature and humidity. When the babies hatch, the mother, hearing their squeak, helps them get out, and sometimes carries them to the water. In some species, “playgrounds” are organized in swamps, where young animals are protected for several months. Sometimes males also take part in caring for children.
On Earth makes our planet so unique and beautiful. Surprisingly, discoveries of new animal species that were previously unknown to science still occur. The most interesting for scientists are reptiles. This is the type of animal that is considered the most ancient on the planet and has not yet been fully studied by scientists. We will tell you about them today.
Reptiles - who are they?
Every schoolchild can tell a lot of interesting things about these amazing representatives of the animal world. It is also known from the biology course that reptiles are special class animals, which are currently represented by four orders. They are cold-blooded vertebrates and therefore prefer to live in countries with warm or hot climates. Many people believe that reptiles and amphibians belong to the same class, but this is actually not the case. Reptiles can live both in water and on land, and their skin unlike the skin of amphibians, they are covered with small scales, which allow them to retain precious moisture in the body.
The class of reptiles, or reptiles, as they are called, dominated our planet millions of years ago. The shells of the eggs helped them in this, which reliably protected the future cubs from all dangers. The eggs of amphibians could easily be damaged. In addition, baby reptiles are born fully adapted to independent life, which cannot be said about amphibians, which go through several stages of development before reaching full adulthood.
Reptiles: what they look like
Reptiles are animals with an elongated body and small short legs (some species lack them). Their skin is always dry, and the need for water and fresh air minimal. When moving on the ground, animals seem to crawl along the surface, which is why they are called “reptiles.” Reptiles grow very slowly, and their growth occurs throughout their lives. The lifespan of some reptile species reaches six hundred years.
Most reptiles tolerate hot weather and literally “charge” from the sun. All they have to do is crawl out onto warm surface after a cold night, so that the body temperature rises to approximately human temperature. On too hot days, reptiles hide in the shade.
Reptile species
The reptile class is represented by approximately seven thousand species and four orders:
1. Turtles
It is believed that turtles appeared on the planet more than two hundred million years ago; about six and a half thousand have survived to this day. various types. Moreover, turtles are represented in nature by twelve families. Scientists claim that such a variety of surviving species of this order was ensured. Their durable shell provided the animals with protection from predators.
2. Lizards and snakes
They are combined into one squad, but they also have some differences. As scientists have seen, lizards live in almost all corners of the planet; there are more than three hundred and fifty species. Moreover, they are so diverse that it is difficult to identify any common features between all lizards.
Snakes cause a lot of delight among scientists; there are three thousand species of them on the planet.
3. Crocodiles
These creatures are the closest relatives of birds and are considered the most ancient animals on Earth. Only three species of crocodiles have survived to this day.
4. Hatteria
This animal is one of a kind and lives only in one place on the planet.
When did reptiles appear on the planet?
The class of reptiles (or reptiles) appeared on our planet 340,000,000 years ago. Almost immediately they spread throughout the planet, some species chose land, while others descended into depths of the sea. Flying reptiles appeared later than other species, but also occupied their niche in the animal world of the Earth.
Scientists believe that the ability of reptiles to grow throughout their lives is what ultimately killed them. After all, in the process of evolution they reached huge size, and this, as is known, leads to the extinction of the species.
Reptiles' perception of the world
Reptiles are unique animals that have not only vision and hearing, but also special sensory organs that allow them to perfectly adapt to different conditions. For example, snakes can perceive and classify odors using special cells on their tongues. Many of the reptiles have the ability to distinguish infrared radiation coming from warm-blooded creatures. This allows some reptiles to hunt even at night.
Lizards, for example, rely heavily on their vision. They see the world in a color spectrum and, according to scientists, they can also distinguish heat coming from objects. In addition, most reptiles do not have eyelids, so they cannot blink. They moisturize the mucous membrane of the eyes with the help of their tongue.
Reptile breeding
Most reptiles lay eggs. This ensures the safety of their offspring and allows them to develop to the level adult while in the shell. This opportunity provides a high percentage of survival of cubs in nature, which, in turn, ensures the safety of the species.
Some reptile species are viviparous, including snakes and lizards. Their offspring are also born prepared and can exist separately from their parents. Surprisingly, baby reptiles can hunt from the moment they are born and completely repeat the habits of their parents. Moreover, this quality is innate in them; parents do not teach their offspring anything.
How do reptiles grow?
As we have already said, reptiles grow throughout their lives, but to do this they need to molt. The fact is that reptile skin is quite dense and tough; its composition is very similar to human nails. There is quite a lot of keratin in the scales of reptiles, so over time the skin becomes quite hard and inhibits the growth of the animal.
This is why reptiles go through the molting process. Under the old skin, a thin layer of new and tender skin begins to grow, which gradually thickens. As a result, the animal sheds its old skin, crawling out of it like from a stocking. This is especially noticeable in snakes; they seem to crawl out of their skin, turning it inside out. Lizards, for example, molt in a slightly different way - they shed their skin in large pieces over several days.
Reptiles, which have remained in our world since ancient times, are the object close attention scientists all over the world. Their abilities are used in many fields of science, as well as robotics. These amazing creatures nature can give us many more discoveries, because it is not for nothing that only they managed to survive to our days from the impossibly distant era of dinosaurs.
Snakes are unusual appearance and behavior, attracting the undying interest of scientists and admirers of reptiles. The appearance of these reptiles on the planet is attributed to Cretaceous period, but their ancestors, ancient lizards, appeared much earlier, in the Paleozoic. And in this article you will find out what significance this reptile has in magic and everyday life.
The first reptiles arose in Africa more than 200 million years ago, subsequently spreading throughout the world, except Antarctica.
Animal habitats are tropical areas, forests, steppes, mountain slopes and foothills. Reptiles can live in water, on land and in trees. Sea snakes went into the deep waters of the ocean, breeding their offspring far from coastal zones. also inhabit freshwater lakes and rivers. Species diversity There are about 3 thousand snakes, which are divided into 23 families.
General characteristics of scaly reptiles
Many species are poisonous, some reptiles are capable of causing fatal bites. Some species use poison to paralyze prey. The elongated body of reptiles is completely covered with scales.
Some species can reach 12 meters in length. The smallest snakes are only 8 cm. Predatory individuals feed on insects, frogs, fish, bird eggs and small mammals. Certain species are capable of swallowing prey several times larger than reptiles in size.
The color of reptile skin is varied and often matches the color scheme of the natural environment. At first glance, bright colors reliably hide reptiles in tropical forests, among lush greenery.
Some snakes are distinguished by variegated skin patterns, even in rather faded surroundings, signaling danger to others. There are species that display warning coloration only at times of danger.
Duality of the image in ancient mythology
In ancient times, snakes performed quite a controversial symbol, combining the positive concepts of fertility, immortality, wisdom and the negative ones - evil, duplicity. The duality was based on the poisonousness of reptiles, which brought death, and on the ability to regenerate and revive by shedding their skin. The animal is a symbol of healing and medicine.
Legends speak of the wisdom of these reptiles, those who know the secret eternal life and secrets of healing recipes. In a manner ancient god Asclepius resurrecting from the dead was depicted in the form of a staff entwined with a serpent.
Among the huge variety of reptiles, snakes were a symbol of healing. Snakes were called the snake of Aesculapius and were revered in Rome and. Symbol modern medicine depicted in the form of a bowl with medicine entwined with a snake.
Already
In Antiquity, the reptile was the sacred animal of the goddess Athena. In Egypt, the goddess Isis was represented as half woman, half snake. Egyptian mythology associated the image of a snake with the Sun, as an attribute of the god Osiris. The snake combines cunning and deceit, dark forces and evil. Ancient beliefs endowed reptiles with the qualities of a mediator between the earthly and other worlds.
The symbol of a reptile in the culture of eastern countries
Chinese culture is filled with ancient legends and stories related to snakes. In most tales, reptiles embody negative symbols and evil. Legends Far East do not differentiate between the images of dragons and snakes.
Dragons acted as guardians of temples, guarding esoteric knowledge and treasures. There is an opinion that represents a snake closed in a circle, as a reflection of the concept of yin-yang, symbolizing harmony and eternity.
The animal was considered bisexual, personifying fertility. The chthonic nature of the reptile embodied the power of dark magic and omniscience. Thanks to the ability to glide without the help of limbs, reptiles were considered an all-pervasive creature, capable of overcoming any obstacles.
The black sun served as an image for sorcerers and witches, representing sin and the dark forces of nature. The Heavenly Serpent, or the Azure Dragon, was a symbol of the rainbow, embodying the transition between worlds. In Japan, this animal is an invariable attribute of the thunder gods and thunder gods.
The embodiment of the image in Christianity
The image of this reptile in Christianity is viewed dually, combining wisdom and the chthonic symbol of the devil. The personification of the Fall and everything dark that must be overcome by man. The animal entwining the Tree of Life was positive symbol, the snake on the Tree of Knowledge is the dark beginning, Lucifer.
The reptile, depicted with a woman's head, personified temptation. In Christian beliefs and culture, the animal represents a negative image poisonous creature with the ability to squirm, using lies and cunning. Popular beliefs endowed the negative characters with a “snake heart”, implying the malice and deceit of the images.
Greek stories depict the serpent symbolizing healing and renewal. In Jewish legends, a reptile is always evil and sin. The image is widely represented in almost all mythologies and cultures of the world. Often the symbol was associated with fertility, masculine and feminine, homely hearth. Many magical texts contain references to these animals as intermediaries between worlds.
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