1. Family Cheloniidae
Sea turtles

2. Characteristics – Sea Turtles
Class Reptilia – Order Testudines
6 out of 7 species have a hard outer carapace
All sea turtles have evolved for the marine environment
Dorsoventrally flattened (aquadynamics)
Paddle-like arms and legs for swimming
Breath air, but are capable of anaerobic respiration
Most species are endangered
Leatherback Sea Turtle
Herbivorous and omnivorous
After hatching on on beaches all turtles find their way to pelagic zones where they float in beds of sea weeds, after three to five years they return to the continental shelf at which they were born.

3. Chelonia mydas – Green Sea Turtle
Among the largest sea turtles
Up to 700 lbs.
~6 ft. in length
Live upwards of 80 years
Herbivorous adults – Sea grasses and algae
Thought to be responsible for their greenish fat from which their name is derived
Tropic and sub-tropic marine environments
Circumglobal
Endangered due to human activity
Hunting
Fishing
Chemical pollution
Habitat destruction

4. Family Corytophanidae
Casquehead lizards

5. Characteristics - Casquehead lizards
Class Reptilia – Suborder Lacertilia
Moderately sized lizards
Found in forests from Mexico to Ecuador
Laterally compressed bodies
Well developed crests
Used in defensive displays
Lateral side faces threat in order to appear larger
Unlike relatives their tails are unable to break off
Essential as a counter balance for a specific type of movement

6. Basiliscus vittatus – Brown/Striped Basilisk
Tropical and subtropical wet, moist, and dry forests
Panama, Belize, Columbia, and Costa Rica
Can reach up to 61 cm in length
Three crests along head, body, and tail
Usually brown with black stripes
Primarily feed on insects
Sometimes referred to as the “Jesus Lizards”
Can run meters across the surface of water
Younger/smaller basilisks can run further and farther than older/larger ws
Female
Male