Science question

[natas]

I figured I would ask here because I know we have alot of sharp people on our message-board. Anyway here goes. As you know Reptilia Class is broken down from here:
Subclass Lepidosauria
This class contains two Orders.
Order Rhynchocephalia
*The only living members are 2 species of Tautarus.
Order Squamata
*Lizards, snakes, and amphibians

Now I did not no about the Rhynchocephalia. So I searched for some info on the Tautarus species and came up with this:

The Maori name "tuatara" means "peaks on the back", and refers to the triangular folds of skin which form a conspicious crest along the back and tail of the male. The Latin name has been emended from the original "Sphaenodon" Gray 1831, and conserved by the Intl. Comm. Zool. Nomen. 1957, Opinion 455.

Now what I want to know is what makes Tuatara so special to be excluded from Order Squamata. Just curious.

w00t![addsig]

[natas]

Here we go...I found this:

Order Rhynchocephalia

This is a small, nearly extinct order of very unusual lizard-like reptiles known as the beaked reptiles. This order contains some very strange features, such as a small third eyelid on the forehead of the juveniles. All living species, known as tuataras, are found only in New Zealand. They live underground during the day, and can tolerate cold temperatures. It lives for a very long time, maybe for as long as a century or more. It has the longest egg incubation period known for any reptile. Its eggs take fifteen months to hatch after they are laid. There are four known suborders and six families. Only one of these families contains living specimens. The rest are known only by the fossil record. There are three species (maybe only two with one subspecies:

Suborder Rhynchosaurida (extinct)
Mesosuchidae
Rhynchosauridae

Suborder Pleurosaurida (extinct)
Pleurosauridae

Suborder Clarazidaurida (extinct)
Claraziidae
Tholodontidae

Suborder Sphenodontida (living)
Sphenodontidae (tuataras or sphenodons) 3 spp

Also go here http://reptilis.net/rhynchocephalia/overview.html


<font size=1>[ This message was edited by: natas on 2001-04-25 15:06 ]</font>

	Shane The Man, The Myth, The Mystery that is RTB!!!

[hisba]

Wow that's interesting.. thanks Natas.
A 3rd eyelid too! neat! Iguanas have
a perinial eye (other lizards probably do too)
which is like a third eye, that can sense
difference in light/shadow.. suspected of being
useful for avoiding predators in the wild.
I wonder if the juvis of that order used
it for the same purpose? hmmm

	Shane The Man, The Myth, The Mystery that is RTB!!!

[JuliusSqueezer]

the 3rd eye even pays attention while they sleep triggering reactions from as faint a difference in shadowing as a bird flying over far above.

Is this where 3rd eye blind got their name?

[natas]

One other note...these guys aren't like other lizrds at all. The eat differently, can take more extreme weather conditions and are known to live 70+ years!! Amazing huh?[addsig]

[JuliusSqueezer]

cool...also cool that u looked stuff up and answered all your own questions. lol

[TwistedComa]

Ok everyone! Calm down or I will have to delete your posts!!! j/k... I can see my forum is really starting to get popular now! Yay![addsig]