# data[].attributes.headline
Order Squamata                     By: Alyssa Evans

# data[].attributes.subject
Order Squamata                     By: Alyssa Evans

# data[].attributes.body
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Varanidae
Genus: Varanus
Species: Komodoensis
Found in: Range from beaches to ridges and tropical Savannah forests
- Live in some volcanic Indonesian Islands
Characteristics:
- 10 feet or longer
-flat and long head
-big tail (very muscular)
-serrated teeth
-gray-red color
-saliva has bacteria which is used as a weapon when hunting
-use camouflage to hide from prey they attack
-use saliva to kill prey and sharp teeth to slash into it
http://www.livescience.com/27402-komodo-dragons.html

# data[].attributes.body
Over time squamates evolved slowly and developed into new species. Some organisms such as snakes lost limbs other organisms developed venom as a method of hunting and protecting themselves. These kinds of changes over time lead to different species and the evolution of reptiles.

# data[].attributes.body
The food source of squamates over time evolved to protect themselves from being eaten by their predators. As a result of squamates food source evolving they as well evolved so they could survive and eat. An example of this would be a newt evolving and gaining more poisons and squamates in turn evolved and acquired a better resistance against these poisons.

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/35999-moroccans-mosasaurs/

# data[].attributes.body
http://blog.everythingdinosaur.co.uk/blog/_archives/2011/05

# data[].attributes.body
Squamates have been spread all over the world. In different regions, these organisms need to adapt to the conditions around them in order to survive. With different organisms adapting to their environment it created new species of squamates. All these different geographic locations changed the organisms and allowed them to evolve.

# data[].attributes.body
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae
Genus: Ophiophagus
Species: Hannah
Found in: Can be found in forests, in swamps, or near streams
-typically found in China, Asia, or India
Characteristics:
-13 to 18 feet long
-yellow, green, brownish, or black coloration
-very venomous
-When threatened, flare out their "hoods" and hiss
-build nests
-can be extremely hostile
-constrict prey
-jaw can extend around prey and they consume it whole typically
http://snake-facts.weebly.com/king-cobra.html

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.darwinandwallace.com/pages/squamate-fossils
https://www.britannica.com/science/Jacobsons-organ
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.22858/pdf
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/26172-Squamata
http://www.reptileknowledge.com/squamata/
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/museums-static/obl4he/vertebratediversity/squamata.html
https://bmcevolbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2148-13-93

# data[].attributes.body
Squamates, such as pythons, and being selectively bred so they can be kept as pets. Humans pick two organisms with the desired traits and breed them so they are ideal as a pet. This is causing them to evolve differently and it takes away the undesired traits that owners dont want.

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.angelfire.com/mi/dinosaurs/lizardsandsnakes.html

# data[].attributes.body
Anatomy
All squamates have two jaws, teeth, scales, backbones, and Jacobson's organ. All of the organisms having these traits show how these traits are necessary for theme to survive and shows how they had to evolve over time to acquire these traits and survive in their environments.

# data[].attributes.body
Descent with Modification
Squamates over time have had slow changes occur. Snakes once had limbs, however, over time they became limbless organisms that slither instead of walk. The majority of squamates have decreased in size over time as well to make hiding more efficient and to make getting around and into trees more effective.
Natural Selection
Over time, squamates evolved and moved from water and land to mainly just land. This allowed them more opportunities with obtaining food. Squamates changed and evolved to be able to survive on land. Many squamtes have limbs so they can dig and climb while others, snakes, slither and can move around things with ease. Those who did not evolve died off and this left all the new acquired traits for squamates.

# data[].attributes.body
The oldest fossils of lizards that have been found are from the Jurassic period (165-185 million years ago) and the oldest fossils of snakes are from the Cretaceous period (90 million years ago).

# data[].attributes.body
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Family: Helodermatidae
Genus: Heloderma
Species: Suspectum
Found in: Southwest United States and Northern Mexico
-Gila River Basin, Chihuahan  and Sonoran deserts
-live in rocky areas
Characteristics:
-black body with orange, yellow or pink patterns
-two feet in length
-forked tongue
- venomous
-slow movement
-latch on prey and inject their venom
- usually underground or basking in sun
http://www.reptilesofaz.org/Lizards-Subpages/h-h-suspectum.html

# data[].attributes.body
Biochemical
It has been shown that some lizards are able to lose their tail and regrow it. This is known as autotomy. These lizards contain proteins known as 5-bromodeoxyuridine. This allows tissue to be regrown and this is how some lizards are able to regrow their tails. Over time it has been shown that lizards have evolved and can lose and regrown their tail in a more complete way and much quicker than before. Many squamates also have similar proteins in their venom. This all shows how lizards have evolved over time and continue to evolve.

# data[].attributes.body
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squamata

# data[].attributes.body
Embryology
While still an embryo, snakes have limb buds. These limb buds disappear before they are born because over time they have evolved and no longer need limbs to survive. Squamates typically have large eyes and elongated tails which show how squamates are all very similar and have evolved and acquired these traits to survive.

# data[].attributes.body
http://ketewere.blogspot.com/2006/02/snakes-and-lizards-venom.html

# data[].attributes.body
Habitat:
All squamates are cold blooded which means they need to live in an open area with a good amount of sunlight so they can maintain a decent body temperature. They also need to live in somewhat moist areas to help keep their water in their bodies.

# data[].attributes.body
Reproduction:
Snakes- Male snakes and female snakes can mate anywhere between an hour to a whole day. Females reproduce once or twice a year. depending on the snake they can either give birth to live young, lay eggs, or hold eggs into their bodies until they are ready to hatch.
Lizards- Some lizards are asexual and do not need a mate to reproduce while other lizards need a mate. They are just like snakes in the sense that they either give birth to live young, lay eggs, or hold the eggs in their body until they hatch.

# data[].attributes.body
Movement:
Snakes- Snakes have no limbs but they have thousands of muscles which allow them to contact and extend and push themselves forward.
Lizards- Lizards have limbs which allows them to move around easily and get away from predators. Some lizards have body parts such as their tails that detach so they can escape danger from predators. They are also good at blending in with their surroundings

# data[].attributes.body
Squamates are snakes and lizards that have scales and that shed their skin. They have quadrate bones and have jointed skulls that allow a lot of movement of their jaws. They are also watertight which allows them to keep in the water in their bodies.

# data[].attributes.body
Food:
Snakes - some will poison prey or will constrict them to suffocate and kill their food. They can swallow their food whole. Often eat mice, eggs, rabbits, frogs, other snakes, birds. They basically go after anything they can fit their jaws around.
Lizards- They can eat anything from insects and small animals and plants to crickets, spiders, and snails. The bigger the lizard the bigger their prey can be. Some lizards such as the Komodo dragon can eat deer and pigs since their saliva can paralyze and kill its prey.