Some marine reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs,
metriorhynchid thalattosuchians, and mosasaurs became so well adapted to a marine lifestyle that they were incapable of venturing onto land and gave birth in the water. Others, such as sea turtles and saltwater crocodiles, return to shore to lay their eggs. Some marine reptiles also occasionally rest and
bask on land.
Extant (living) varieties
Sea turtles: there are seven extant species of sea turtles, which live mostly along the tropical and subtropical coastlines, though some do migrate long distances and have been known to travel as far north as Scandinavia. Sea turtles are largely solitary animals, though some do form large, though often loosely connected groups during nesting season. Although only seven turtle species are truly marine, many more dwell in brackish waters.[1][6]
Sea snakes: the most abundant of the marine reptiles, there are over 60 different species of sea snakes. They inhabit the tropical and subtropical waters of the
Indian and
Pacific oceans, though very limited reports of sightings suggest they may be extending into the
Atlantic Ocean. Sea snakes are venomous and their bites have been known to be fatal, though generally they only bite when provoked and often inject only a very small, non-fatal quantity of venom. Sea snakes are distinguished from terrestrial snakes by a vertically flattened tail.[1][7]
Marine iguana: marine iguanas live only on the
Galápagos Islands and are not fully adapted to marine life. Although they feed exclusively on
marine plants and spend a good deal of their time in the water, they do nest on land and need to bask in the sun to reach their ideal body temperature; they are thus also subject to terrestrial predators.[1][8]
Saltwater and
American crocodiles: none of the extant species of crocodiles are truly marine; however, the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) does display adaptations to saltwater inhabitation and dwells in the brackish waters of Southeast Asia and Australia. Saltwater crocodiles dispose of excess salt in their bodies through specialized
salt glands. These are the largest species of crocodile, also making them the largest
reptiles. They can grow up to six meters in length.[1][9] American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) similarly prefer brackish over freshwater habitats.[10]
Extinct groups
Ichthyosaurs were marine reptiles with a dolphin-like body shape that flourished during the Mesozoic era.
Mosasaurs were a group of large, aquatic
squamates (relatives of modern-day lizards and snakes) which became the dominant marine predators towards the end of the Cretaceous period.
Thalattosaurs were a group of aquatic or semiaquatic marine reptiles of uncertain placement within the
diapsid clade. One subgroup, the
thalattosauroids, are known for their unusual downturned snouts and crushing dentition.
Mesosaurs were quite possibly the very first fully aquatic reptilian animals and the only group known from the
Paleozoic, though they are technically not true reptiles in the sense of not being part of the
diapsid group. Taxonomic placement either puts these Permian animals resembling long-snouted lizards with newt-like tails either as members of
Parareptilia or as a type of
Synapsid.
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Conservation
Most species of marine reptiles are considered endangered to some degree. All but one species of sea turtles are endangered due to destruction of nesting habitats on coastal lands, exploitation, and marine fishing;[6] many species of sea snakes are threatened or endangered due to commercial exploitation (sale of skins) and pollution especially in Asia; marine iguanas are threatened due to their very limited habitation range.[1] Saltwater crocodiles are at low risk for extinction.[9]
^Piñeiro, Graciela; Ferigolo, Jorge; Ramos, Alejandro; Laurin, Michel (1 July 2012). "Cranial morphology of the Early Permian mesosaurid Mesosaurus tenuidens and the evolution of the lower temporal fenestration reassessed". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 11 (5): 379–391.
Bibcode:
2012CRPal..11..379P.
doi:
10.1016/j.crpv.2012.02.001.
^Carvalho, Anny Rafaela De Araújo; Ghilardi, Aline Marcele; Barreto, Alcina Magnólia Franca (21 June 2016). "A new side-neck turtle (Pelomedusoides: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene (Danian) Maria Farinha Formation, Paraíba Basin, Brazil". Zootaxa. 4126 (4): 491–513.
doi:
10.11646/zootaxa.4126.4.3.
PMID27395602.
^Langston, Wann; Gasparini, Z. (1997). "Crocodilians, Gryposuchus, and the South American gavials". In Kay, Richard F; Madden, Richard H; Cifelli, Richard L; Flynn, John J. (eds.). Vertebrate paleontology in the neotropics: the Miocene fauna of La Venta, Colombia. Smithsonian Institution Press. pp. 113–154.
ISBN978-1-56098-418-4.
^
abZug, George R.
"Sea Turtle". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
^"Sea Snake". Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
^Ellis, T. M. (1981). "Tolerance of Sea Water by the American Crocodile, Crocodylus acutus". Journal of Herpetology. 15 (2): 187–192.
doi:
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JSTOR1563379.