Reptiles
Two main functions of reptile scales.
Keep the reptiles from losing water through evaporation
Keep the reptiles warm after sunning
How are the beaks of eagles and hummingbirds designed to fit their function?
Hawks and eagles have sharp and hooked beaks to tear meat
Hummingbirds have long and slender beaks to reach nectar.
The two orders of flightless birds
Orders Struthioniformes and Sphenisciformes
The two ways that non-placental mammals develop
Some are oviparous
Others have a pouch in which the embryo develops
One common characteristic of Order Insectivora other than its diet.
Pointed snouts to burrow into the earth to find insects.
Amniotic Egg - A shelled, water-retaining egg that allows reptile, bird, and certain mammal embryos to develop on land
Compared with amphibians and fish - the eggs of amphibians are only covered with a thin membrane because they are always in the water
The two types of feathers and their most basic difference (structure)
Down feathers - Feathers with smooth barbules but no hooked barbules. Contour feathers - Feathers with hooked and smooth barbules, allowing the barbules to interlock.
The four orders of water birds and the common general name of each
Order Anseriformes (swimming birds)
Orders Pelecaniformes and Procellariiformes (diving birds)
Order Ciconiiformes (wading birds)
The two types of hair in mammals and their functions/descriptions
guard hair: the visible hair, coarser and longer than underhair.
underhair: soft and insulating
The two orders of non-placental mammals
Order Monotremata and Marsupialia
Three functions of the albumen
Contains chemicals that stop the growth of pathogens.
Water and protein storage
Mechanical support for the egg.
The steps and functions of preening.
Steps:
Birds produce oil in a gland near the base of the tail.
The bird rubs its bill on the gland to get the oil and rubs the oiled bill all over the feathers.
Functions:
Allows the hooks to slide on the smooth barbules.
Blocks water to warm the bird and maintain its weight.
The two ways snakes hunt and their definitions
Constriction
The snake winds itself around its prey and squeeze them to death
Venom
The snake has venom glands to inject poison into its prey using its fangs
What is gestation and what does it affect?
Gestation - a period of time during which an embryo develops before being born
Gestation time of mammals vary. The longer it takes the more developed the born offspring is.
Difference in the teeth structure of lagomorphs and rodents
Unlike rodents, lagomorphs have a second pair of peglike incisors on their upper jaw.
Five general characteristics of reptiles
Covered with tough, dry scales
Ectothermic
Breathe with lungs throughout their lives
Three-chambered heart with a ventricle that is partially divided
Produce amniotic eggs covered with a leathery shell, most oviparous, some ovoviviparous.
The circulatory system of birds
Right atrium receives oxygen-poor blood and dumps it to the right ventricle.
The right ventricle pumps the oxygen-poor blood into the lungs to get oxygen.
The oxygen-rich blood travels back into the heart, entering the left atrium.
The left atrium dumps the oxygen-rich blood into the left ventricle, which pumps the blood all over the body.
Four differences between snakes and lizards
Lizards have two pairs of limbs, snakes have none.
Lizards have ears and can hear, while snakes are deaf.
Lizards have the same type of scales all over their bodies, while snakes have specialized scales on their bellies for locomotion.
Most lizards have eyelids and can therefore close their eyes. Snakes’ eyes are always open because they have no eyelids.
Five general characteristics of mammals
Hair covering the skin
Internal fertilization, usually viviparous
Feeds their young with milk secreted from the mammary glands
Four-chambered heart
Endothermic
Four functions of an elephants trunk
pick up food, water, and other objects
trumpet calls
pull down trees and foliage
detect scents in the air
Four membranes within the amniotic egg and their functions
Amnion: a membrane that forms a fluid-filled sac around the embryo
Yolk sac: a membrane that contains the yolk, which is nutrients for the embryo.
Allantois: a membrane of blood vessels for respiration and excretion.
Chorion: a membrane that envelopes the amnion, yolk sac, and allantois
The 6 parts of a typical feather, and their definitions, if any.
The shaft is divided into two sections:
Quill: the bare portion of the shaft that connects to the follicle
Rachis: the portion of the shaft that holds the vane.
The vane is made of:
Barbs: originate on the rachis and extend outward.
Barbules: originate on the barbs. Some have hooks, others are smooth
The two types of snake venom and their descriptions
Neurotoxin - attacks the nervous system, causing blindness, paralysis or suffocation
fast-acting
snake has short, fixed fangs
venom is given as the snake is chewing
Hemotoxin - attacks the red blood cells and blood vessels, destroying circulation
slow-acting
snake has long fangs that fold away into the pockets of the mouth when not in use
venom is injected in a large amount
Explain how the placenta works
The placenta is connected to the umbilical cord which connects the mother’s blood vessels with the embryo’s blood vessels.
The mother’s blood provides oxygen and nutrients to be absorbed by the embryo’s blood vessels.
The embryo’s blood vessels release waste products to the placenta, then to the mother’s circulation to exit via the mother’s excretory system.
Two similarities and three differences of dolphins and porpoises
Dolphins are larger than porpoises
Dolphins have pointier heads, porpoises have rounded heads
Dolphins have hooked dorsal fins, porpoises have triangular dorsal fins
Both navigate with sonar
Both have spongy material under their loose and layered skin that beat with the motion of the water to reduce water drag.