Difference Between Lizard and Reptile

Lizard vs Reptile

Lizards and reptiles shouldn’t be confused with each other. If you’re confused, just think of the lizard as Pepsi Max and a reptile as a soda. A lizard is a kind of reptile that also has several other subfamilies.

Under the taxonomic classification system, reptiles are part of the class Reptilia. Below it are different subclasses like Anapsida and Euriptilia. Further below Euriptilia are the orders of Crocodilia, Sphenodontia, molecular Testudines, and Squamata. Now, the lizard is just one of the reptiles classified under the order Squamata. In this group, there are about 7,900 different species making it the biggest order in the reptilian class. This would also imply that not all reptiles are lizards but all lizards are considered reptiles.

Perhaps the confusion is more of the common perception of associating reptiles to snakes. However, snakes are the same as lizards because they both belong to the order Squamata. Reptiles are creatures of the Reptilia class and are placed in the Linnaean system in-between birds and amphibians in the Kingdom of Animals. Previously, giant reptiles were said to have dominated the planet. Since they have already died out, all that’s left are their smaller descendants.

Reptiles are cold-blooded creatures often having backbones. All throughout their lifetime, reptiles breathe using their lungs. Unlike amphibians, reptiles do not possess slime glands making their skin scaly and dry. This is one of the reasons why they are able to thrive primarily on land. Other reptiles include: crocodiles, turtles, snakes, and many others. Nonetheless, the turtle class of reptiles is different from most reptiles in the sense that they possess a soft body with an outer protective shell that serves as protection or a normal covering.

As mentioned, the order Squamata has thousands of species comprising both snakes and lizards (about 3,800 species) of very diverse animals. They are characterized by their limbs and outer ears contrary to their absence among snakes. One of the most intriguing abilities of lizards is autotomy – the automatic detachment of their tails for them to move away from their predators. It is a survival capability that is, unfortunately, not present in all lizard species. Lizards are also able to communicate using colors with the aid of their color vision sense. Although belonging to different families, some of the most common lizards are the gecko, chameleon, varanid lizard and, of course, the enormous Komodo dragons growing more than nine feet in length.

Summary:

1.Lizards are part of the order Squamata together with snakes.
2.Class Reptilia’s four main suborders: Crocodilia, Sphenodontia, molecular/traditional Testudines, and Squamata
3.“Reptile” is a more general classification or description of lizards.
4.There are about 3,800 different species of lizards.
5.Lizards are best known for their ability of autotomy.

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