Reptilia

Reptiles, as commonly defined, are tetrapod vertebrate animals with an ectothermic metabolism and amniotic development. Reptiles traditionally comprise four orders: Testudines (turtles), Crocodilia, Squamata and Rhynchocephalia (tuatara), with about 12,000 extant species listed in the Reptile Database. The study of the traditional reptile orders, customarily in combination with the study of modern amphibians, is called herpetology.

Reptilia

Stewart Nimmo · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikipedia/Commons. May be a photograph of a specimen, or an artist’s reconstruction — an interpretation of a skeleton, since colour and soft tissue are almost never preserved.

On record

Recorded, not inferred
Also called
reptilePBDB
Sits inside
SauropsidaPBDB
Motility
actively mobilePBDB, for Osteichthyes
Environment
terrestrialPBDB, for Amniota

Time the record covers

At least 316 million years on record.

The record covers at least 316.9 Mya to 11.7 ka. No occurrence read is dated outside 323.4 Mya to 0 Mya.

Carboniferous — about 4 of 12000 occurrencesCarboniferousPermian — about 45 of 12000 occurrencesPermianEarly Triassic — about 20 of 12000 occurrencesMiddle Triassic — about 60 of 12000 occurrencesLate Triassic — about 417 of 12000 occurrencesLate TriassicEarly Jurassic — about 434 of 12000 occurrencesMiddle Jurassic — about 185 of 12000 occurrencesLate Jurassic — about 851 of 12000 occurrencesEarly Cretaceous — about 1277 of 12000 occurrencesEarly CretaceousLate Cretaceous — about 4435 of 12000 occurrencesLate CretaceousPaleocene — about 264 of 12000 occurrencesEocene — about 1073 of 12000 occurrencesOligocene — about 71 of 12000 occurrencesMiocene — about 1026 of 12000 occurrencesPliocene — about 498 of 12000 occurrencesPleistocene — about 1219 of 12000 occurrences330–319 Mya — about 0.2 occurrences319–308 Mya — about 3 occurrences308–297 Mya — about 0.6 occurrences297–286 Mya — about 4 occurrences286–275 Mya — about 24 occurrences275–264 Mya — about 13 occurrences264–253 Mya — about 5 occurrences253–242 Mya — about 53 occurrences242–231 Mya — about 102 occurrences231–220 Mya — about 120 occurrences220–209 Mya — about 119 occurrences209–198 Mya — about 285 occurrences198–187 Mya — about 191 occurrences187–176 Mya — about 56 occurrences176–165 Mya — about 140 occurrences165–154 Mya — about 135 occurrences154–143 Mya — about 767 occurrences143–132 Mya — about 151 occurrences132–121 Mya — about 313 occurrences121–110 Mya — about 490 occurrences110–99 Mya — about 384 occurrences99–88 Mya — about 286 occurrences88–77 Mya — about 1209 occurrences77–66 Mya — about 2877 occurrences66–55 Mya — about 346 occurrences55–44 Mya — about 533 occurrences44–33 Mya — about 464 occurrences33–22 Mya — about 77 occurrences22–11 Mya — about 652 occurrences11–0 Mya — about 2201 occurrences316.9 Mya11.7 ka330 Mya0 Mya

12,000+ occurrences of Reptilia on record. The Paleobiology Database records this as a living group. Bar height is expected occurrences, not a count: each fossil is spread across the span it is dated to, so a tall narrow bar means tight dating and a low wide one means loose.

When

12,000 occurrences read

These are dates about fossils, not the animal: the record can only begin after it arose and end before it died out, so either end may reach further. Shares are expected occurrences: a fossil dated to a span is counted partly in each period it straddles. The read hit its cap, so every figure above is a floor and the shares are of the occurrences read. More on what this infers.

Found in

at least 842 formations

Hell Creek — 47.64°N, 106.57°WHell Creek — 47.70°N, 106.23°WHell Creek — 47.80°N, 106.10°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.40°WHell Creek — 47.68°N, 106.43°WHell Creek — 45.14°N, 102.50°WHell Creek — 46.47°N, 104.02°WHell Creek — 47.54°N, 107.08°WHell Creek — 45.95°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.10°N, 103.30°WHell Creek — 45.98°N, 103.75°WHell Creek — 46.15°N, 103.81°WHell Creek — 46.18°N, 103.84°WHell Creek — 46.30°N, 103.98°WHell Creek — 46.41°N, 103.94°WHell Creek — 46.38°N, 103.96°WHell Creek — 46.45°N, 103.02°WHell Creek — 46.33°N, 103.90°WHell Creek — 45.94°N, 103.95°WHell Creek — 47.57°N, 107.10°WHell Creek — 45.55°N, 105.11°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.00°WHell Creek — 45.53°N, 101.63°WHell Creek — 47.88°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 45.76°N, 104.95°WHell Creek — 47.62°N, 107.32°WHell Creek — 47.57°N, 106.31°WHell Creek — 48.06°N, 105.40°WHell Creek — 47.53°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 45.85°N, 104.83°WHell Creek — 47.96°N, 106.46°WHell Creek — 47.84°N, 106.16°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 106.98°WHell Creek — 47.65°N, 106.65°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 106.38°WHell Creek — 47.55°N, 107.25°WHell Creek — 47.52°N, 107.18°WHell Creek — 47.07°N, 106.92°WHell Creek — 47.60°N, 107.23°WHell Creek — 47.73°N, 106.50°WHell Creek — 47.63°N, 106.20°WHell Creek — 47.64°N, 106.70°WHell Creek — 47.67°N, 106.27°WHell Creek — 45.46°N, 103.84°WHell Creek — 46.90°N, 101.50°WMorrison — 39.07°N, 108.70°WMorrison — 41.89°N, 106.04°WMorrison — 42.04°N, 106.39°WMorrison — 39.65°N, 105.19°WMorrison — 42.15°N, 105.92°WMorrison — 42.02°N, 106.05°WMorrison — 43.38°N, 108.12°WMorrison — 43.63°N, 108.20°WMorrison — 39.15°N, 108.77°WMorrison — 40.42°N, 109.21°WMorrison — 35.20°N, 107.13°WMorrison — 40.44°N, 109.30°WMorrison — 38.12°N, 109.32°WMorrison — 38.54°N, 105.22°WMorrison — 38.81°N, 108.39°WMorrison — 34.94°N, 107.13°WMorrison — 43.43°N, 103.69°WMorrison — 45.25°N, 108.75°WMorrison — 36.21°N, 103.63°WMorrison — 35.32°N, 106.94°WMorrison — 35.56°N, 106.77°WMorrison — 35.60°N, 103.74°WMorrison — 38.45°N, 107.40°WMorrison — 41.98°N, 106.14°WMorrison — 41.88°N, 106.08°WMorrison — 41.88°N, 105.89°WMorrison — 39.24°N, 109.00°WMorrison — 38.58°N, 108.40°WMorrison — 44.54°N, 107.78°WMorrison — 44.65°N, 107.82°WMorrison — 41.97°N, 106.29°WMorrison — 38.73°N, 111.27°WMorrison — 38.85°N, 108.48°WMorrison — 38.55°N, 105.24°WMorrison — 42.55°N, 106.69°WMorrison — 43.65°N, 106.78°WMorrison — 36.90°N, 102.83°WMorrison — 40.53°N, 109.39°WMorrison — 36.93°N, 102.97°WMorrison — 39.17°N, 109.25°WMorrison — 38.54°N, 106.81°WMorrison — 38.64°N, 108.19°WMorrison — 45.54°N, 110.62°WMorrison — 44.47°N, 103.31°WMorrison — 39.01°N, 110.37°WMorrison — 44.53°N, 103.83°WMorrison — 44.18°N, 103.34°WMorrison — 43.41°N, 103.41°WMorrison — 44.46°N, 104.73°WMorrison — 44.25°N, 104.41°WMorrison — 39.32°N, 110.69°WMorrison — 45.45°N, 108.10°WMorrison — 35.32°N, 106.31°WMorrison — 35.58°N, 106.94°WMorrison — 40.09°N, 105.94°WMorrison — 37.53°N, 103.68°WMorrison — 37.78°N, 103.46°WMorrison — 38.81°N, 108.32°WMorrison — 40.47°N, 109.18°WMorrison — 38.32°N, 108.83°WDinosaur Park — 50.74°N, 111.53°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.46°WDinosaur Park — 50.72°N, 111.56°WDinosaur Park — 50.79°N, 111.60°WDinosaur Park — 50.81°N, 111.32°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.40°WDinosaur Park — 49.95°N, 110.27°WDinosaur Park — 50.73°N, 111.30°WDinosaur Park — 49.12°N, 110.47°WDinosaur Park — 50.73°N, 111.80°WDinosaur Park — 50.13°N, 111.69°WDinosaur Park — 50.76°N, 110.02°WDinosaur Park — 50.41°N, 110.29°WDinosaur Park — 50.40°N, 111.10°WDinosaur Park — 49.14°N, 110.42°WDinosaur Park — 50.60°N, 111.62°WDinosaur Park — 50.75°N, 111.40°WDinosaur Park — 49.30°N, 110.60°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.68°WOldman — 50.75°N, 111.49°WOldman — 50.73°N, 111.80°WOldman — 50.76°N, 111.62°WOldman — 50.63°N, 111.62°WOldman — 49.10°N, 110.94°WOldman — 49.08°N, 110.84°WOldman — 49.16°N, 110.72°WOldman — 50.83°N, 111.32°WOldman — 49.20°N, 110.60°WOldman — 50.90°N, 111.80°WOldman — 50.72°N, 111.48°WOldman — 50.69°N, 111.62°WOldman — 49.30°N, 110.60°WOldman — 49.28°N, 112.58°WOldman — 49.14°N, 112.58°WOldman — 49.28°N, 112.20°WWillwood — 43.03°N, 108.38°WWillwood — 43.95°N, 107.57°WWillwood — 44.30°N, 109.00°WWillwood — 44.58°N, 108.90°WWillwood — 44.83°N, 109.09°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 109.93°WWillwood — 44.42°N, 108.69°WWillwood — 44.44°N, 108.63°WWillwood — 44.50°N, 108.67°WWillwood — 44.56°N, 108.70°WWillwood — 44.59°N, 108.62°WWillwood — 44.49°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 44.53°N, 108.43°WWillwood — 44.53°N, 108.79°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 44.60°N, 108.32°WWillwood — 44.59°N, 108.41°WWillwood — 44.53°N, 108.32°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.72°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.54°WWillwood — 44.52°N, 108.57°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.90°WWillwood — 44.65°N, 108.83°WWillwood — 44.64°N, 108.76°WWillwood — 44.41°N, 108.79°WWillwood — 44.33°N, 108.77°WWillwood — 44.35°N, 108.75°WWillwood — 44.78°N, 108.97°WLance — 43.35°N, 104.48°WLance — 43.12°N, 104.64°WLance — 44.24°N, 109.02°WLance — 43.49°N, 104.46°WLance — 43.30°N, 104.37°WLance — 44.77°N, 100.70°WLance — 41.57°N, 108.67°WLance — 41.57°N, 108.65°WLance — 41.64°N, 107.65°WLance — 43.13°N, 104.49°WLance — 43.00°N, 104.50°WLance — 43.17°N, 104.57°WLance — 43.44°N, 104.41°WLance — 42.20°N, 104.46°WLance — 42.58°N, 105.39°WLance — 43.17°N, 104.91°WLance — 43.14°N, 104.91°WLance — 43.27°N, 104.59°WLance — 45.67°N, 101.48°WLance — 44.09°N, 109.18°WLance — 43.18°N, 104.53°WLance — 37.58°N, 111.83°WLance — 45.93°N, 103.92°WLance — 42.05°N, 106.84°WLance — 44.29°N, 108.84°WLance — 47.40°N, 108.27°WLance — 48.29°N, 105.84°WLance — 43.25°N, 104.65°WLance — 43.80°N, 104.62°WLance — 45.75°N, 101.20°WLance — 45.00°N, 103.18°WLance — 42.65°N, 105.24°WLance — 43.14°N, 104.71°WLance — 42.09°N, 106.88°WLance — 41.91°N, 104.20°WLance — 43.20°N, 104.66°WLance — 43.13°N, 104.07°WCloverly — 45.20°N, 109.00°WCloverly — 45.10°N, 106.90°WCloverly — 45.44°N, 108.14°WCloverly — 45.44°N, 108.16°WCloverly — 46.34°N, 109.69°WCloverly — 45.49°N, 108.52°WCloverly — 44.49°N, 107.86°WCloverly — 44.54°N, 108.01°WCloverly — 44.96°N, 108.30°WCloverly — 45.12°N, 108.71°WCloverly — 45.15°N, 108.73°WCloverly — 45.20°N, 108.81°WCloverly — 45.36°N, 108.75°WCloverly — 43.73°N, 108.33°WCloverly — 43.22°N, 107.57°WCloverly — 43.19°N, 107.69°WCloverly — 45.34°N, 108.81°WCloverly — 44.69°N, 108.24°WCloverly — 45.45°N, 108.10°WCloverly — 45.38°N, 108.26°WCloverly — 45.41°N, 108.04°WCloverly — 46.27°N, 109.89°WPortland — 41.57°N, 72.63°WPortland — 42.26°N, 72.57°WPortland — 41.81°N, 72.55°WPortland — 42.10°N, 72.59°WPortland — 41.90°N, 72.57°WPortland — 42.59°N, 72.60°WPortland — 42.61°N, 72.51°WPortland — 42.52°N, 72.55°WPortland — 41.73°N, 72.66°WPortland — 41.69°N, 72.64°WPortland — 42.17°N, 72.67°WPortland — 42.16°N, 72.58°WPortland — 41.55°N, 72.69°WTendaguru — 9.71°S, 39.23°ETendaguru — 9.69°S, 39.25°ETendaguru — 9.79°S, 39.12°EKoobi Fora — 3.90°N, 36.24°EKoobi Fora — 3.98°N, 36.32°EKoobi Fora — 4.31°N, 36.27°EKoobi Fora — 4.24°N, 36.26°EKoobi Fora — 4.29°N, 36.23°EKoobi Fora — 3.77°N, 36.44°EKoobi Fora — 3.78°N, 36.33°EKoobi Fora — 3.59°N, 36.24°EKoobi Fora — 3.87°N, 36.37°EKoobi Fora — 3.94°N, 36.25°EKoobi Fora — 4.18°N, 36.42°EKoobi Fora — 4.08°N, 36.35°EKoobi Fora — 4.07°N, 36.37°EJudith River — 46.47°N, 109.30°WJudith River — 46.46°N, 109.41°WJudith River — 48.95°N, 110.62°WJudith River — 47.77°N, 108.95°WJudith River — 47.90°N, 109.00°WJudith River — 47.74°N, 109.62°WJudith River — 47.81°N, 109.59°WJudith River — 48.92°N, 110.58°WJudith River — 47.78°N, 109.38°WJudith River — 48.97°N, 110.93°WJudith River — 48.98°N, 110.45°WJudith River — 46.10°N, 109.10°WJudith River — 46.40°N, 109.66°WJudith River — 46.42°N, 109.27°WJudith River — 46.44°N, 109.83°WJudith River — 46.23°N, 108.98°WFort Union — 45.20°N, 109.00°WFort Union — 41.30°N, 107.74°WFort Union — 45.80°N, 109.80°WFort Union — 44.91°N, 108.93°WFort Union — 44.72°N, 108.62°WFort Union — 44.68°N, 108.34°WFort Union — 44.68°N, 108.35°WFort Union — 44.67°N, 108.45°WFort Union — 43.85°N, 108.35°WFort Union — 44.30°N, 109.00°WTwo Medicine — 47.81°N, 112.18°WTwo Medicine — 47.82°N, 112.66°WTwo Medicine — 48.63°N, 113.75°WTwo Medicine — 48.48°N, 112.70°WTwo Medicine — 48.91°N, 112.64°WTwo Medicine — 48.97°N, 112.65°WTwo Medicine — 48.65°N, 112.97°WTwo Medicine — 47.77°N, 112.29°WTwo Medicine — 48.48°N, 112.58°WCedar Mountain — 38.80°N, 111.17°WCedar Mountain — 38.66°N, 111.24°WCedar Mountain — 38.94°N, 111.08°WCedar Mountain — 38.98°N, 111.04°WCedar Mountain — 39.00°N, 110.00°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.57°WCedar Mountain — 38.72°N, 109.69°WCedar Mountain — 38.78°N, 109.71°WCedar Mountain — 39.14°N, 110.90°WCedar Mountain — 39.21°N, 111.02°WCedar Mountain — 39.16°N, 110.86°WCedar Mountain — 39.05°N, 111.04°WCedar Mountain — 38.81°N, 109.76°WCedar Mountain — 32.83°N, 109.57°WCedar Mountain — 38.91°N, 110.10°WCedar Mountain — 38.83°N, 109.47°WChinle — 34.51°N, 109.36°WChinle — 34.44°N, 109.46°WChinle — 36.32°N, 106.47°WChinle — 35.05°N, 109.83°WChinle — 35.84°N, 111.25°WChinle — 35.09°N, 109.79°WChinle — 34.94°N, 109.77°WChinle — 37.80°N, 110.33°WChinle — 36.21°N, 106.34°WChinle — 34.53°N, 109.32°WChinle — 35.12°N, 110.55°WOlduvai — 2.96°S, 35.29°EOlduvai — 2.98°S, 34.32°EOlduvai — 2.98°S, 35.37°EJindong — 34.91°N, 128.15°EJindong — 34.90°N, 128.15°EJindong — 34.99°N, 128.45°EJindong — 34.99°N, 128.40°EJindong — 35.07°N, 128.42°EJindong — 35.07°N, 128.28°EJindong — 34.97°N, 128.32°EValentine — 42.78°N, 100.03°WValentine — 42.80°N, 100.80°WValentine — 42.79°N, 100.07°WValentine — 40.02°N, 98.53°WVogel River Series — 3.20°S, 35.22°EVogel River Series — 3.01°S, 35.20°EVogel River Series — 3.25°S, 35.20°EVogel River Series — 3.23°S, 36.19°EVogel River Series — 3.13°S, 35.13°EForemost — 53.25°N, 105.08°WForemost — 50.07°N, 111.14°WForemost — 49.13°N, 110.87°WForemost — 50.05°N, 110.77°WForemost — 49.75°N, 111.67°WNorth Horn — 39.27°N, 111.25°WNorth Horn — 39.18°N, 111.27°WNorth Horn — 39.20°N, 111.24°WNorth Horn — 39.29°N, 111.11°WNorth Horn — 39.10°N, 111.80°WNorth Horn — 39.00°N, 111.00°WGlen Rose Limestone — 32.37°N, 97.69°WGlen Rose Limestone — 32.23°N, 98.23°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.85°N, 98.62°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.10°N, 98.42°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.44°N, 100.12°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.50°N, 99.40°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.10°N, 99.44°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.60°N, 99.12°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.63°N, 99.26°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.63°N, 99.42°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.72°N, 99.00°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.07°N, 99.33°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.00°N, 99.11°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.30°N, 99.05°WGlen Rose Limestone — 29.84°N, 98.22°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.10°N, 98.50°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.30°N, 98.30°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.20°N, 97.98°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.35°N, 97.79°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.50°N, 97.91°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.65°N, 97.67°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.70°N, 98.09°WGlen Rose Limestone — 30.91°N, 98.03°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.19°N, 98.13°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.45°N, 98.25°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.59°N, 98.13°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.63°N, 98.21°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.69°N, 98.38°WGlen Rose Limestone — 31.88°N, 97.63°WGlen Rose Limestone — 32.23°N, 97.76°WGlen Rose Limestone — 32.25°N, 97.81°WGlen Rose Limestone — 32.25°N, 97.72°WSao Khua — 16.70°N, 102.25°ESao Khua — 16.68°N, 103.57°ESao Khua — 16.65°N, 102.25°ESao Khua — 16.13°N, 102.58°ESao Khua — 16.54°N, 104.14°ESao Khua — 16.43°N, 104.09°ESao Khua — 16.43°N, 104.00°ESao Khua — 17.00°N, 104.25°ESao Khua — 17.41°N, 102.79°ESao Khua — 17.25°N, 102.67°ESao Khua — 16.42°N, 104.67°EFruitland — 36.06°N, 107.97°WFruitland — 36.29°N, 108.23°WFruitland — 36.49°N, 108.49°WFruitland — 36.15°N, 107.98°WFruitland — 36.26°N, 108.26°WFruitland — 36.18°N, 108.21°WFruitland — 36.25°N, 108.06°WFruitland — 35.95°N, 108.00°WFruitland — 36.21°N, 105.64°WFruitland — 36.21°N, 108.08°WFruitland — 37.86°N, 110.10°W

Loading coastlines…

The named rock units Reptilia has been recovered from, largest first. Drawn where the rock is now, not where it formed. The read hit its cap, so each count is a floor. 818 further formations hold fewer occurrences each and are not listed. 2,128 occurrences have no formation on record, which is common for older literature.

Found in the same rock

2,363 taxa

The Paleobiology Database records at least 722 sites for Reptilia, and this reads 240 of them. The number is how many of those sites it was catalogued from too. The 24 sharing the most are listed.

This is not a list of everything alive at the time. It is only what has come out of the same ground as this animal and been written down.

Entered from

at least 2,730 references

Each of the 12,000 occurrences read was entered from one of these publications, ordered by how many each accounts for. This is not a search for papers mentioning the name. That read hit its cap, so each count is a floor. 2,718 further references are not listed. Entries link to doi.org where the Paleobiology Database holds an identifier, and to its own record where it does not. Relayed as the Paleobiology Database holds them, not checked against what they resolve to.

Media and terms

Media content3

Picture of Reptilia

Credit
Stewart Nimmo
Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0
Commercial use
the licence allows it

CT scan

Licence
In Copyright
Commercial use
cannot be read from the licence given — check the record
Specimen
Reptilia indet. · AMNH:FARB:9543

3D model

Source
Sketchfab
Licence
CC0 Public Domain
Commercial use
the licence allows it

Smithsonian Open Access was not reached for this taxon, so this list is what the others held rather than everything there is.

The description on this site

Licence
CC BY-SA 4.0

This is what the site found, which is not the same as what exists.

Keep going

What may have been alongside itSauropsida through timeThe world it lived on

Occurrence data from the Paleobiology Database, CC BY 4.0. (Laurenti 1768)