1. Reptiles use the sun to warm up. Unlike mammals, reptiles are ectothermic (cold-blooded). They can’t create their own body heat, so they bask in warm sunlight to start their day and move into the shade when they get too hot.

2. Snakes smell with their tongues. A snake flicks its split tongue into the air to pick up tiny scent particles. When it pulls its tongue back inside, it presses it against a special organ in the roof of its mouth (the Jacobson's organ) to figure out what is nearby!

3. Chameleons can look in two directions at once. A chameleon's eyes move completely independently of each other. It can look forward with one eye to search for food while watching behind itself with the other eye for predators!

4. Reptiles shed their skin as they grow. Because reptile scales don't stretch, reptiles outgrow their outer skin layer. Snakes shed their entire skin in one long piece, while lizards shed theirs in small, flaky patches.

5. A turtle’s shell is attached to its spine. A turtle cannot crawl out of its shell like a cartoon character! The hard shell is actually part of its skeleton, made of bones fused together with its ribs and backbone.

6. Some lizards can drop their tails to escape. If a predator grabs a gecko or skink by the tail, the lizard can pop its tail off to wiggle on the ground as a distraction! The lizard runs away safely and grows a brand-new tail over time.

7. Crocodiles have been around since the dinosaurs. Crocodilians (alligators and crocodiles) have survived on Earth for over 200 million years. Because their bodies are so well adapted for hunting in water, they have changed very little since ancient times!