There are eighteen different reptiles and amphibians sighted at the Refuge.

Reptiles are any class (Reptilia) of coldblooded vertebrates having lungs, an entirely bony skeleton a body covered with scales or horny plates and a heart withtwo atria and usually a single ventricle.

Reptiles have dry scaly skin that slows water loss. Therefore, they can live away from open water. Reptile eggs, like bird eggs, have protective outer coverings that prevent the embryos from drying out and enables them to develop outside of water.

Reptiles cannot regulate their body temperature internally the way mammals do. Reptiles rely on their environment and behavior for warmth and lizards provide a good example of how this is done.

Photo Credits: Aaron Rinker, USFWS

Amphibians are any class (Amphibia) of coldblooded, scaleless vertebrates, consisting of frogs, toads, newts, salamanders and caecilians, that usually begin life in the water as tadpoles with gills and later develop lungs.

Amphibians are totally dependent on water during their early stages of development. They must remain in moist habitats because they constantly lose water through their skin.

Females lay their eggs directly in water or moist places where the larvae hatch and grow independently.

The two most common groups of amphibians are those that have tails (salamanders, newts, and mudpuppies) and those that do not have tails (frogs and toads).