Content
- Origin of reptiles, the main animals that crawl
- Characteristics of crawling animals
- Examples of crawling animals
- blind viper (Leptotyphlops melanotermus)
- Striped snake (Philodryas psammophidea)
- tropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus)
- Teyu (Teius teyou)
- striped lizard (Eumeces skiltonianus)
- horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum)
- Coral snake (Micrurus pyrrhocryptus)
- argentine tortoise (Chelonoidis chilensis)
- Lizard without legs (Anniella pulchra)
- Snake snake (Philodryas patagoniensis)
- other animals that crawl
According to the Michaelis dictionary, to crawl means "to move on the tracks, crawl on the belly or move bumping the ground’.
With this definition, we could include among the animals that crawl reptiles, the earth worm or the snail, which are invertebrates that they move by dragging their body across the surface through different mechanisms.
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will know some examples of crawling animals and the characteristics they share among them. Good reading.
Origin of reptiles, the main animals that crawl
to return to origin of reptiles, we have to refer to the origin of the amniotic egg, as it appeared in this group of animals, offering the embryo an impermeable protection and allowing its independence from the aquatic environment.
the first amniotes emerged from Cotylosaurus, from a group of amphibians, in the Carboniferous period. These amniotes branched into two groups according to the different characteristics of their skull: Synapsids (from which mammals were derived) and Sauropsids (from which other amniotes such as reptiles arose). Within this last group there was also a division: the Anapsids, which include the species of turtles, and the Diapsids, such as the known snakes and lizards.
Characteristics of crawling animals
Although each species of reptile may use different mechanisms to move by crawling on the ground, we can enumerate a long list of characteristics that crawling animals share with each other. Among them, we find the following:
- even members (tetrapods) and short in length, although in certain groups, such as snakes, they may be absent.
- The circulatory system and the brain are more developed than in amphibians.
- They are ectothermic animals, that is, can't regulate your temperature.
- They usually have a elongated tail.
- They have epidermal scales, which can detach or remain growing throughout their lives.
- Very strong jaws with or without teeth.
- Uric acid is the product of excretion.
- They have a three-chambered heart (except crocodiles, which have four chambers).
- breathe through lungs, although some species of snakes breathe through their skin.
- Have a bone in the middle ear.
- They have metanephric kidneys.
- As for blood cells, they have nucleated erythrocytes.
- Separate sexes, finding males and females.
- Fertilization is internal through a copulatory organ.
If you want to know more about the characteristics of these animals, you can see the Reptile Characteristics article.
Examples of crawling animals
There are countless animals that crawl, such as snakes, that have no limbs. However, there are other reptiles that, despite having limbs, can also be considered crawlers, as their body surface is dragged by the ground at the time of displacement. In this section, we'll look at some curious examples of crawling animals or who crawl to move.
blind viper (Leptotyphlops melanotermus)
It is characterized by being small, does not have venom-secreting glands and has an underground life, normally inhabiting the gardens of many houses. It lays eggs, so it is an oviparous animal. As for food, their diet is based mainly on small invertebrates, such as some species of insects.
Striped snake (Philodryas psammophidea)
Also known as the sand snake, it has a thin, elongated body and measures approximately one meter. Along the body, it has several longitudinal bands of dark coloration on the dorsal part and lighter on the ventral region. It is found in arid areas and forests, where it feeds on other reptiles. is oviparous and has poisonous teeth in the back of your mouth (opistoglyphic teeth).
tropical rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus)
The tropical rattlesnake or southern rattlesnake is characterized by achieve big measures and yellow or ocher colors on its body. It is found in very dry regions, such as savannas, where it feeds mainly on small animals (some rodents, mammals, etc.). This crawling animal is viviparous and also produces poisonous substances.
Teyu (Teius teyou)
Another example of animals that crawl is the tegu, an animal medium-sized which is very eye-catching because it has intense green colors on its body and a very long tail. Although it should be noted that the male has blue colors during the reproduction phase.
Its habitat can be varied, being found in forest and pasture regions, for example. Their diet is based on invertebrates (small insects) and, in terms of reproduction, they are oviparous animals.
striped lizard (Eumeces skiltonianus)
The striped lizard or western lizard is a small lizard with short limbs and a very thin body. It presents dark tones with lighter bands in the dorsal region. It can be found in vegetated areas, rocky areas and forests, where it feeds on invertebrates, such as some spiders and insects. As for their reproduction, the spring and summer seasons are chosen for mating.
horned lizard (Phrynosoma coronatum)
This crawling animal is usually gray in color and is characterized by having a cephalic region with a kind of horns and a body covered with numerous thorns. The body is broad but flat and has limbs that are too short to move. It lives in dry, open areas, where it feeds on insects such as ants. The months of March and May are chosen for breeding.
Coral snake (Micrurus pyrrhocryptus)
This example is a long and slender reptile, which does not have a cephalic region differentiated from the rest of the body. It has a peculiar coloration, as it has black rings along its body that are interspersed with a pair of white bands. It predominates in jungles or forests, where it feeds on other reptiles, such as some smaller lizards. It is oviparous and very poisonous.
If you want to meet the most venomous animals in the world, don't miss this other article.
argentine tortoise (Chelonoidis chilensis)
This terrestrial turtle is one of the animals that crawl and is characterized by having a large, tall, dark-colored carapace. It lives in areas where vegetables and fruits predominate, as it is a mainly herbivorous reptile. However, it sometimes feeds on some bones and meat. It is an oviparous animal and it is common to find it as a pet in some homes.
Lizard without legs (Anniella pulchra)
Another of the curious animals that crawl to move about is the legless lizard. It has a cephalic region that is indistinguishable from the rest of the body and ends in the shape of a tip. lacks members for displacement and it has very bright scales along the body, which are characterized by having gray colorations with darker lateral bands and a yellowish belly. It is usually found in rocky areas and/or dunes where it feeds on small arthropods. The spring and summer months are chosen for breeding.
Snake snake (Philodryas patagoniensis)
Also called snake-papa-pinto, it is usually greenish in color, but with darker tones around the scales. It is also known as the parelheira-do-mato snake because it predominates in open regions, such as some forests and/or pastures, where it feeds on various animals (small mammals, birds and lizards, among others). It lays eggs and, like other snake species, has poisonous teeth in the posterior region of your mouth.
other animals that crawl
The list of reptiles is very extensive, although, as we mentioned in previous sections, not only do these animals crawl to move. This is the case of the Roman snail or the earth worm, which experience friction between its body and the surface to carry out locomotion. In this section, we will list other animals that crawl to move:
- Roman snail (helix pomatia)
- Earthworm (lumbricus terrestris)
- False coral (Lystrophis pulcher)
- Sleeper (Sibynomorphus turgidus)
- Crystal Viper (Ophiodes intermedius)
- Red teyu (Tupinambis rufescens)
- Blind snake (Blanus cinereus)
- Argentine Boa (good constrictor occidentalis)
- Rainbow Boa (Epicrates cenchria alvarezi)
- Leather turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
If you want to read more articles similar to Crawling Animals - Examples and Characteristics, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.