A cold-blooded vertebrate with dry, scaly skin that lays amniotic eggs (usually with leathery shells) and breathes air through lungs throughout its life cycle. This group includes snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodilians.
From Latin 'reptilis' meaning 'creeping,' from 'repere' meaning 'to creep or crawl.' The term was used by early naturalists to describe these ground-dwelling animals, though many reptiles actually don't creep at all.
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