Ep 6: Australian Wildlife Reptiles
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Australian Wildlife Episode 2 Reptiles
Before we begin: what makes a reptile a reptile? What are some of the defining traits that they share?
Well, they are ectothermic, meaning that they are unable to maintain a constant internal body temperature themselves. They must instead rely on external heat sources, for example sunlight or hot rocks or concrete, to keep warm. Which is why you’ll often see them basking in the sun.
Ectotherms are often referred to as “Cold-blooded”, but this isn’t technically true, as their blood isn’t cold, it’s just kept warm in a different way.
Another major characteristic of reptiles is that their skin is covered in scales. The scales are hard plates, used for protection, which grow out of their skin. They are made of a protein called Keratin, which is also the key structural material in hair, nails and feathers. But of course, reptiles aren’t the only animals with scales. They are also found on fish, some mammals like armadillos and even the feet of birds.
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