A few lizards and turtles are herbivorous as adults. Some predatory reptiles stalk their prey, whereas others wait in ambush. Some have special behavioral mechanisms to obtain food. African chameleons have a long, sticky tongue that they thrust out rapidly to catch insects. Reptiles have various adaptations to protect themselves from predators.
Most species avoid confrontation by hiding underground or underwater.
Camouflage, flight, and threat displays are also used effectively by different species. Among the most dramatic warning signals are the rattling of rattlesnakes, the spreading neck displays of cobras and hognose snakes, and the hissing and open mouth exhibited by female alligators defending their young. Most reptiles bite when threatened, and the consequences can be painful or, in some instances, even fatal. Some snakes and the stinkpot turtle resort to emitting foul-smelling odors to discourage predators. This article was contributed by J. Whitfield Gibbons, Senior Research Ecologist and Professor of Zoology, Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia.