Reptile Awareness Day
Today, 21st October, is Reptile Awareness Day – it is celebrated around the world by reptile lovers, and promotes learning and awareness about the different species of reptiles and their conservation.
What are Reptiles?
Reptiles are a class of vertebrate – they are cold-blooded, have a vertebrae (a backbone), are scaly and have lungs. With the exception of a few species, such as crocodiles and some snakes, reptiles are not dangerous to people. All reptiles play an important role in our bio-diversity.
There are 6,500-10,000 species of reptiles worldwide, which live on every continent except Antarctica. In Zambia we have 150 known species, with approximately 57% being snakes, 37% lizards, 5% tortoises and turtles and 1% crocodiles. Of these, 45 species are considered rare whist we have four endemic species, meaning they are only found in Zambia:
- Kafue Round-snouted Worm Lizard (Zygaspis kafuensis)
- A legless skink (Acontias schmitzi)
- Aagama (Acanthocercus branchi)
- A night adder (Causus rasmusseni)
Some Facts about Reptiles
- Nearly all reptiles lay shelled eggs
- The first reptiles are thought to have evolved around 320 million years ago
- Reptiles use a variety of different methods to defend themselves in dangerous situations – such as avoidance, camouflage, hissing and biting
- Snakes and lizards smell with their tongue
Reptiles Depend on Temperature for their Survival
Unlike mammals and birds, reptiles cannot maintain a constant body temperature as they do not have fur or feathers for insulation. They cannot stay warm on a cold day and as they do not have sweat glands or the ability to pant, they cannot cool down on a hot day. Instead, they rely on the sun to warm up, or they move into the shade to cool down. Their metabolism therefore depends on the temperature of their surrounding environment.
Their reproduction also depends on the temperature surrounding their eggs. Some reptiles, like pythons, give birth to live young, whilst most other species lay eggs in nests. The temperature around the nest is critical during this time, as it determines if the hatchlings will be male or female. Research has found that crocodiles eggs in both low and high temperatures result in female hatchlings, whilst intermediate temperatures result in male hatchlings.
Will Climate Change affect Reptiles?
Researchers have found that warm blooded animals have a greater success at adapting to new climate conditions than cold blooded animals, because they depend on suitable climates to find food, mates and for their eggs to develop and hatch. You might think that snakes and lizards would be happy to bask in warmer weather, but all reptiles have temperature limits, being highly sensitive to altered temperatures. As global temperatures continue to rise, some habitats might become too hot for their cold blooded inhabitants. This means they will be forced to find new habitats or they will become extinct.
How to Celebrate Reptile Day
You can celebrate Reptile Day by visiting Kalimba Reptile Park in Lusaka or Livingstone Crocodile Park in Livingstone.
You can find a list of reptiles which are found in Zambia at www.arczambia.com and you can join the Zambian Snakes And Other Crawlies Facebook Page where experts are on hand to answer all your questions and you can share your favourite reptile stories and photos.