Select the one animal that has all of the reptile traits listed above.
Loggerhead sea turtles hatch from eggs with shells. They live in the water, but they lay their eggs on the land. Their scaly, waterproof skin and thick shell help protect them from predators. Goldfish hatch from eggs with no shells and have scaly skin. They are popular as pets in many countries today. They were first kept as pets by people in ancient China. Goldfish have fins and live underwater.
Reptiles are a group of animals with similar traits. The following traits can be used to identify reptiles:
They have scaly, waterproof skin.
They make eggs with shells. Observe the animals and read the descriptions.
Scientists sort animals with similar traits into groups. This is called classification. Classification helps scientists learn about how animals live.
How do scientists classify animals? First, they make observations about an animal. Scientists observe the animal's traits, including its body parts and behavior. Then, scientists compare the animal's traits to other animals' traits. Scientists classify animals with similar traits into a group.
To decide if an animal is part of a group, look at the traits of the group.
Reptiles have the following traits:
They have scaly, waterproof skin.
They make eggs with shells.
Compare each animal's traits to the group's traits. Select the animal with traits similar to the group's traits.
A goldfish has the following traits:
It has fins, not limbs.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A goldfish does not have all of the traits of a reptile. A goldfish is a fish.
A sea turtle has the following traits:
It has scaly, waterproof skin.
It makes eggs with shells.
A sea turtle has the traits of a reptile. A sea turtle is a reptile.