Generally, reptiles are thought of as being land dwelling animals with scales. In actuality, several different reptile species have adapted to life in water. All reptiles have four legs. In scientific terms, reptiles are known as tetrapods . Interestingly, snakes are considered tertrapods because they at one point also had four legs.
All reptiles produce eggs with a waterproof shell full of amniotic fluid.
Because of this characteristic, reptiles are also considered amniotes . All reptiles have skin that prohibits them from drying out and toes with claws. Most reptiles, but not all, are ectotherms, meaning that they are cold blooded. Chelonia mydas, a member of the Cheloniidae family. The Green Sea Turtle also belongs to the order Testudines , suborder Cryptodira , and family Cheloniidae .