reptilia Meaning, Definition & Usage
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noun class of cold-blooded air-breathing vertebrates with completely ossified skeleton and a body usually covered with scales or horny plates; once the dominant land animals
class Reptilia.
WordNet
Rep*til"i*a noun plural
Etymology
NL.Definitions
(Zoöl.) A class of air-breathing oviparous vertebrates, usually covered with scales or bony plates. The heart generally has two auricles and one ventricle. The development of the young is the same as that of birds. ✍ It is nearly related in many respects to Aves, or birds. The principal existing orders are Testidunata or Chelonia (turtles), Crocodilia, Lacertilla (lizards), Ophidia (serpents), and Rhynchocephala; the chief extinct orders are Dinosauria, Theremorpha, Mosasauria, Pterosauria, Plesiosauria, Ichtyosauria.
