Marine Reptiles and Birds Chapter 13 Marine Biology

Marine Reptiles and Birds Chapter 13 - Marine Biology Mrs. Pregnall and Mrs. Hastings

How are Birds and Reptiles similar to each other? • • They both are _____. They both have _____. They both lay _____. All of this evidence suggests that birds evolved from reptiles. • Note: Amphibians evolved from fish and reptiles evolved from amphibians. There are no true marine amphibians.

An Evolutionary Comparison • Note the scales on the birds feet. They are very similar to the scales on the bodies of these reptiles. • To the left are the feet of Caiman lizards.

The Ranges of Birds and Reptiles • Birds have a much wider range of habitats on the planet. • Birds can be found from the tropical shores to the polar seas. • Reptiles are mainly found in tropical to subtropical habitats and some temperate habitats.

There are 4 main groups of Marine Reptiles • • Sea Turtles Sea snakes Marine lizards Saltwater crocodiles

Basic characteristics of Reptiles • Reptiles belong to the Kingdom ___, the Phylum ___, Subphylum ______and the class ____. • Reptiles have dry scaly skin that protects them from ____. • All reptiles live in temperate to tropical climates because they are ____, which means their internal temperature and metabolism matches the outside temp. • They can change their behavior to cool off or warm up. Give examples of this.

Adaptations of Reptiles • Reptiles have _____ rather than gills. This means they must return to the surface for ____. • Reptiles have an amniotic egg that has a large ____ for nourishing the embryo. • The egg is encased in a ____ case to prevent dessication. • Fertilization is internal. Why is this an advantage to terrestrial reptiles? • Most aquatic reptiles return to land to lay eggs except some ___.

The heart of reptiles • Most reptiles have a three chambered heart. They have two __ and one __. • The crocodiles have what closely resembles a four chambered heart like that of a bird or mammal.

Adaptations to life in the sea • Sea turtles, marine lizards, and crocodiles have salt glands on their tongues for removing excess salt from their environment. • Alligators do not have this ability to remove salts. They are freshwater!!

Found only on the Galápagos Islands, marine iguanas often wear distinctive white "wigs" of salt expelled from glands near their noses.

Another adaptation to life in the sea • Reptiles that live in arid (dry) environments tend to reabsorb as much water back in their body as possible. • Their waste is dry and concentrated and is called uric acid.

CROCODILES • A large predatory marine reptile • They hunt with their eyes above the surface. • The American saltwater crocodile lives only in the Florida Keys and there are fewer than 500 left. They are endangered • Crocodiles guard their nests and provide limited care for their young unlike turtles and other marine reptiles.

CROCODILES

Alligators vs. Crocodiles • Alligators have a much broader snout. • Alligators cannot tolerate salt water. » THERE’S MORE!! » LET’S DO THE CHART

Alligator vs. Crocodile

Alligators we see in the Everglades

PYTHONS IN THE EVERGLADES

Sea Snakes • Sea snakes inhabit the tropical Pacific ocean and Indian Oceans. • The yellow-bellied sea snake is found in California to Ecuador. • All are highly venomous, but are not aggressive. • They prey on small fish. SEA SNAKE ISLAND

Adaptations of Sea Snakes • They have flat, streamlined bodies and a rudderlike tail. • They have salt glands to get rid of excess salts. EAT A SEA SNAKE?

Diving Adaptations of Sea Snakes • They have a flap of tissue that covers their nostrils when they dive to prevent water from entering lungs. • The lungs inflate to 3/4 of the body length to stay under water for 2 hours on one breath. SEA SNAKE HUNT SEA SNAKE EATS EEL

This is a Land Iguana • How would you change/adapt this animal to be better fit for the Ocean? • Submit 5 ideas with a partner.

Marine Lizards • There is one species of lizards that are marine, the marine iguana. • They live on the Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador. • They are harmless creatures despite their looks.

Adaptations of Marine Iguana • They are graceful under water • They have a flattened tail for swimming. • They eat seaweed and algae. • They bask on lava rocks on land.

Island of the dragon

ANATOMY OF A TURTLE

ANATOMY OF A SEA TURTLE

Sea Turtles • The sea turtles are the most widely distributed of all marine reptiles. • There are 6 (8) species of sea turtles and they are all endangered.

The Green Sea Turtle

Green Sea Turtle • Its name comes from the fat in its body that is green from the algae they eat. • They are the most abundant of all sea turtles. • In Hawaii, they call them Honu. • They are herbivores as adults and have symbiotic bacteria in their gut to help digest their food. When they are juveniles they are carnivores.

Green Sea Turtle facts cont… • They can be as big as 500 lbs. • They often have algae on their backs that fish help clean off…a type of symbiosis called Mutualism _______.

Green Sea Turtle

A Glow in the Dark Turtle?

Hawksbill Turtles • They are mostly tropical, but have been found in Woods Hole and Long Island Sound. • They have a beak like structure.

Hawksbill feeding habits • Hawksbill turtles feed primarily on sponges. • Sea jellies are also common prey items. • These turtles are omnivorous and also eat mollusks, fish, marine algae, crustaceans, and other sea plants and animals.

Leatherback Turtle

Leatherback turtles • The leatherback is the largest living turtle and reptile. • All other sea turtles have bony hard plates on their shells (carapace). The leatherback's carapace is slightly flexible and has a rubbery texture. • The front flippers of a leatherback are longer than in the other marine turtles, even when you take the leatherback's size into account. They can reach 270 cm in adult leatherbacks. • The largest leatherback on record was a male stranded on the West Coast of Wales in 1988. He weighed 916 kg. (1 kg=2. 4 lbs)

Leatherback facts, cont… • Of considerable interest is that the core body temperature of adults in cold water has been shown to be several degrees Centigrade above the surrounding water. • Leatherbacks lack the crushing chewing plates characteristic of sea turtles that feed on hardbodied prey. Instead, they have pointed toothlike cusps and sharp edged jaws that are perfectly adapted for a diet of soft-bodied pelagic (open ocean) prey, such as jellyfish and salps.

A leatherback’s mouth

Leatherback prey items jellies and salps (tunicates)

Loggerhead Turtles

Relocating Loggerhead Eggs Due to OIL SPILL Loggerhead Facts • Loggerheads were named for their relatively large heads, which support powerful jaws and enable them to feed on hard-shelled prey, such as whelks and conch. • The carapace (top shell) is slightly heartshaped and reddish-brown in adults and subadults, while the plastron (bottom shell) is generally a pale yellowish color. • Carapace length of adults in the southeastern U. S. is approximately 36 in (92 cm); corresponding weight is about 250 lbs (113 kg).

Nest Relocation Questions!(10 pts) • Why was there a need to relocate turtle nest near the gulf? • What 2 factors cause baby turtles to have a low survival rate? • Where are they going to release the turtles once hatched? • What type of turtle are they relocating? • What 3 things have to be replicated about the turtle nest to ensure a proper hatching? • What food source will the oil be mistaken for? • What famous location will they bring the turtles until they hatch?

NESTING TRACKS

Lifestyles of a Loggerhead

Loggerhead Turtle Release

Kemp’s ridley turtle

Kemp’s ridley facts… • The Kemp’s ridley turtle is one of the smallest of the sea turtles, with adults reaching about 2 feet in length and weighing up to 100 pounds. • The range of the Kemp’s ridley includes the Gulf coasts of Mexico and the U. S. , and the Atlantic coast of North America as far north as Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. • The Kemp’s ridley is the most seriously endangered of the sea turtles.