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December 16, 2023
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| Word of the
Week--"reptile"
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Definition--any cold-blooded scaly
vertebrate animal,
for example lizards, snakes, tortoises, turtles, crocodiles, alligators,
and many extinct species,
including dinosaurs and pterodactyls.
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| Discussion--Reptiles are often
called "creepy crawlies" because
of their means of locomotion and their predilection for swampy
surroundings. In fact the root of
the word comes from the Latin for to creep or to crawl.
Unlike amphibians, such as frogs and toads, reptiles never go through a
water-breathing stage, though
many need a watery environment to survive.
Snakes are the most varied form of reptile. Some believe they evolved
from lizards, using
elongated internal organs, specialized muscles, scaled skin, and various
patterns and colors to
provide camouflage and protection and to increase their chance of
survival. Snakes can tunnel
beneath sand, swim in the sea, climb in the crowns of trees, as well as
slither along the land.
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| Etymology--The term reptile
is borrowed from the Old French
reptile, which was borrowed directly from Late Latin
reptilis, an adjective meaning creeping
or crawling.
The languages below all display similar roots.
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Foreign
Translations
| German: |
Reptil (nt) |
| Dutch: |
reptiel (het) |
| French: |
reptile (m) |
| Italian: |
rettile |
| Spanish: |
reptil |
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Jane Ellis
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