Reptiles are wonderfully diverse in size, shape, color, and lifestyle. Reptiles have a long history; they have lived on Earth for over 300 million years. Reptiles are mysterious and often misunderstood; they are feared and revered.

The reptiles, or Class Reptilia, include turtles, crocodilians, tuataras, lizards and snakes. Birds, dinosaurs, and numerous extinct groups may also be classified as reptiles.