Surprisingly, some reptiles are actually more closely related to birds than they are to other reptiles. Reptiles usually lay eggs, their body is covered with scales or scutes (as are the feet of birds) and their lungs are their primary breathing organ. Unlike warm-blooded birds though, reptiles are ectotherms, which means that their body temperature varies with that of their environment. There are over 6,500 reptile species, ranging from tiny lizards, snakes, tuatara, turtles, tortoises, to alligators and giant crocodiles.
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