Herptiles
In the exhibition, you can see a wide range of reptiles and amphibians, such as frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, lizards, turtles and crocodiles. You will learn about the kinship between the two animal groups and about the animals that were the first vertebrates to leave the sea and settle on land.
What can you see in the exhibition?
In the exhibition on reptiles and amphibians, you can see:
- Frogs, toads and salamanders (amphibians)
- Snakes, lizards and turtles (reptiles)
- Crocodiles and tuataras
- Norwegian reptiles and amphibians that survive far to the north
When life crawled ashore
Think a lizard is a bit slippery? Consider that it is a herptile with revolutionary ancestors. 'Herptiles' is a collective term for amphibians and reptiles, and they represent one of the most spectacular leaps in the history of the animal kingdom: they were the first vertebrates to leave the sea and settle on land.
Here you will learn more about the history of reptiles and amphibians and their kinship with one another. Herpetologists, who study these animals, can tell you that amphibians descend from prehistoric, fish-like animals and are themselves the ancestors of reptiles.
Frogs, snakes, lizards and turtles
In the exhibition, you will see a wide range of both amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians include frogs, toads and salamanders. Reptiles include snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles and a group called tuataras.
Amphibians are among the most threatened animal species on the planet. They need effective management and protection to survive, which is why we research how they are affected by their surroundings and by human activity in their habitats.
What sets reptiles apart from amphibians?
Although reptiles and amphibians are related, the differences are considerable. Reptiles are the first vertebrates to have left water behind entirely and become true land animals. All reptiles breathe with lungs, while many amphibians have gills and can breathe underwater, or even through their skin.
Amphibians have a larval stage in which they live in water, and soft, moist, delicate skin. Reptiles have hard, dry scales covering the entire body. Amphibians lay their eggs in water, often in a kind of jelly, while reptile eggs typically have a hard or leathery shell. In some reptiles, the eggs even hatch inside the body.
Surviving in the far north
Reptiles and amphibians depend on warmth to regulate their body temperature, and the Norwegian climate can be tough on them. Even so, several species have mastered the art of surviving this far north. Come and say hello.