Select the one animal that has all of the reptile traits listed above.
Smooth newts have moist, smooth skin with black spots. Young smooth newts hatch from eggs without shells. They live in streams or ponds until they are about ten weeks old. Then, they crawl onto land. Box turtles can live to be over 100 years old! They have scaly, waterproof skin and a thick shell that helps protect them from predators. Box turtles lay eggs with shells.
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 smooth newt has the following traits:
It spends part of its life in water and part on land.
It has moist skin.
It makes eggs with no shells.
A smooth newt does not have all of the traits of a reptile. A smooth newt is an amphibian.
A box turtle has the following traits:
It has scaly, waterproof skin.
It makes eggs with shells.
A box turtle has the traits of a reptile. A box turtle is a reptile.