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This is our A-Z of British wildlife 'amphibians and reptiles' section.
Simply select from the A-Z below to view the image and datasheet of your selected amphibian or reptile.
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Amphibians are cold-blooded animals with soft, moist skins capable of absorbing oxygen from water; they also have lungs and can breathe air. They are often found on land (but tend to stay in damp places, because they must keep their skins moist and will die very quickly if they become dehydrated) and
always breed in water, laying eggs which grow as larval tadpoles before metamorphosing into miniature adults.
Reptiles are cold-blooded animals which breathe air covered in scales. They have adapted to a terrestrial life and have a different reproductive cycle from amphibians. The eggs are fertilised internally and the young are miniatures of the adults. In most species the young hatch from eggs, but a few such species, such as the common or viviparous lizard, give birth to live young. Lizards which possess four legs and snakes, which are legless, belong to the same order. Neither lizards or snakes can maintain their body temperature internally, in the way that birds and mammals do. They have to maintain a more or less constant temperature by sunbathing and then moving into cover.
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