Reptiles in Auburn, Washington

Reptiles are tetrapod animals in the class Reptilia , a paraphyletic grouping comprising all amniotes except mammals and birds. Properly, reptiles and birds are grouped together in the monophyletic group known as sauropsids. The class Reptilia comprises turtles, crocodilians, snakes, amphisbaenians, lizards, tuatara, and their extinct relatives. The study of the traditional reptile orders, historically combined with that of modern amphibians, is called herpetology. The earliest known proto-reptiles originated around 312 million years ago during the Carboniferous period, having evolved from advanced reptiliomorph tetrapods that became increasingly adapted to life on dry land.