present-day distribution is the result of dispersal and vicariance
vicariance can be caused by multiple types of barrier
may disperse due to human intervention
reptiles heavily weighted towards equatorial, temperate, and tropical moist zones
highest diversity of squamates in the tropics
highest diversity of testudines in areas with lots of freshwater and that are either temperate, subtropical, or tropical
highest diversity of Crocodilia around the equator
tuataras are only found in New Zealand
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Island Biogeography
ecological communities on islands are often unique due to biota evolving in isolation
communities often exhibit gigantism or dwarfism
some of the best examples of adaptive radiation come from reptiles
often end up with island palaeoendemism
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Migration
most herptiles move relatively little during their lifetime, except for when they are breeding
can orientate using landmarks, polarised light, chemical cues, or magnetic orientation
marine turtles are the best examples of migration in reptiles
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Reptile Sensory Modes and Communication
testudines use a lot of visual and tactile communication, but less acoustic communication
crocodilians most use a combination of visual and tactile signalling, but also acoustic communication
squamates are highly visual, but also use chemical signalling and in some cases acoustic
acoustic signalling is mostly limited to nocturnal geckos
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Reptilian Mating Systems
scramble competition is used by snakes and turtles
mate guarding is found in some lizards, and males may be more protective of larger females or when rival males show more aggression
lekking is rarely found in reptiles, but is found in marine iguanas
sexual dimorphism is often shown in reptiles
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Home Range
movement through and use of habitat by reptiles is often a consequence of resource distribution
territory: an area within the home range that is actively defended against intruders
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Feeding Niches
two well-publicised foraging modes are recognised:
sit-and-wait foragersspend most of their time capturing and handling prey
active foragers move through the environment in search of prey, expending considerable energy in the search phase but little energy in the capture phase
‘feeding niches’ incorporate several pieces of information
type of prey or feeding strategy
resources (their abundance, patchiness, or renewal rate)
movement patterns (within or between patches)
spacing system/home range size (e.g., small, variable, large, nomadic)
lizards display a wide range of feeding niches
all snakes are carnivores, with many specialising in a specific prey type
testudines can be either herbivorous or carnivorous
Crocodilia are carnivorous ambush predators, but do exhibit frugivory
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