50 Fun Reptile Facts Your Kids Will Love

We have always been a reptile family and my kids are a walking ball of random reptile facts. These are 50 fun reptiles facts I think your kids will love as much as mine do!

50 Fun Reptile Facts Your Kids Will Love

Last week, my friend Cait shared this video of The Budgett’s Frog with us and asked if my son knew that this screaming demon exisits.

Not only did he know, he started telling me all about how it lives in South America and actually bites as well. (Isn’t nature beautiful?)

While a frog is an amphibian, it got us talking about other creepy, fun creatures – namely reptiles.

Fun reptile facts are always appreciated around here as a part of our interest-led approach to learning.

Maybe your kids feel the same way?

lizards for kids

Random Reptile Facts Your Kids Will Love

  1. One of the longest-living species on the planet is reptiles. The Aldabra tortoise can live to over 150 years and alligators have an average life span of seventy years. The Ball python snake can live to be forty years old.

2. Although most reptiles lay eggs, some snakes have live births.

3. Some reptiles can go months without eating.

4. There are more than 8,200 different species of reptiles. The majority of these are snakes and lizards.

5. The world’s largest reptile is the salt water crocodile with one measuring over 20 feet long!

6. The world’s smallest reptile is the Brookesia nana, or nano-chameleon. It’s only 13.5 mm long. Take a look at this little guy!

Turtles vs. Tortoise Facts For Kids

Turtles

7. Turtles have hard shells that protect them against predators. 

8. Turtles spend most of their lives in water. They rarely leave it, except to lay eggs. 

9. Turtles are some of the oldest reptiles in the animal kingdom.

10. Turtles can be found in nearly every type of climate. They are hearty creatures!

11. Sea turtles lay eggs in nests that they dig into the sand with their rear flippers. They lay between 100-125 eggs at a time. That’s a lot of baby turtles!

12. A female leatherback sea turtle locates the same spot where it originally hatched and will then return to it to lay her own eggs.

13. A freshwater turtle lives in ponds and lakes. You will often see them basking lazily in the warm sun on logs and stones.

Snapping Turtle Facts For Kids

14. Snapping turtles have powerful jaws and have an average bite force of 209 N (Newtons). Your bite force with your molars is about 1300 N, so they may not have as much force as you, but they have enough to do some real damage. Keep your fingers to yourself! Take a look at these folks who got a little too close to a snapping turtle!

15. Snapping Turtles are omnivores, meaning they eat plants and animals.  Their diet consists of insects, worms, snakes, fish, plants and other small animals.

16. You will find the Common Snapping Turtle in North America, all the way from southeastern Canada to the southern tip of Florida.

17. Snapping turtles can live to be 40 years old!

snapping turtle facts for kids

Tortoises

18. Tortoises are animals that live on land, and are often confused with turtles. Remember, turtles live primarily in water. Tortoises are land reptiles! 

19. Tortoises have strong forelimbs enable them to dig burrows, to slip underground when it gets uncomfortably hot. We once owned a tortoise that burrowed under our backyard fence and went for a walk around our neighborhood. You can imagine the sweet lady across the street’s surprise when our tortoise showed up on her front porch!

20. Wild tortoises can live up to 150 years! Even pets often outlive their owners.

Crocodiles And Alligators: Fun Facts

Crocs

21. One of the biggest reptiles in the world is the saltwater crocodile. They can grow to over 20 feet tall (6 meters) and weigh over a ton.

22. Europe is the only continent where crocodiles are not found.

23. Even though they belong to the reptile family, crocodiles closely resemble dinosaurs.

24. Crocs can open their jaws underwater thanks to a valve at the back of their throats.

25. They typically hunt at night and have amazing night vision.

26. Crocodiles have the strongest bite force every recorded. They typically clock in at 16,460N (Newtons). No thank you!

27. Crocs are fast! They are able to reach speeds up to 15 km per hour (9.3 mph) while swimming.

alligator reptile facts for kids

Alligators

28. Unlike Crocodiles, alligators cannot survive in salt water.

29. Alligator eyes glow in the dark (creepy, right?).

30. Alligators can go through more than 3,000 teeth in their lifetime.

31. Unlike many other reptiles, alligators care for their young.

32. Alligators are the loudest reptiles in the world. Their roar is incredible! Take a listen.

Let’s Talk About Snakes: Fun Reptile Facts For Kids

33. Snakes make up the second-largest group of reptiles after lizards, with 3,700 known species. 

34. Not all snakes lay eggs. Snakes in colder climates have live births because the eggs would not survive the cold.

35. Snakes are often the source of a lot of fear, but two-thirds of the world’s snakes are non-venomous.

36. Of the five hundred species of snakes that are venomous, only thirty to forty are harmful to people. This means only two percent of the world’s snakes are harmful to people!

37. You will not find snakes in Antarctica, Iceland, Greenland, Ireland, or New Zealand.

snake facts for kids

38. Snakes use their tongues to smell things. Snakes actually have nostrils, but they don’t use them to smell like other animals because they can smell with their tongues. 

39. A snake sheds its skin about once a month. It rubs against a branch or something close by. The it then slithers out of the old skin, leaving it behind.

40. Snakes can actually be quite cute! Take a look at these sweet snapshots of snakes.

Leapin’ Lizard Facts For Kids

41. The biggest lizard in the world is the Komodo dragon. It can grow anywhere up to 10 feet long!

42. Almost all lizards are harmless to humans. Komodo Dragons, Mexican Beaded Lizards, and Gila Monsters are the only poisonous lizards. 

43. Almost all lizards live on the ground, but some make their homes in trees, burrows, and a few, even in water. 

44. Their diet includes fruits and plants, insects, birds, amphibians, carrion, and plants.

45. The single most dangerous reptile is a lizard – The Komodo Dragon! While it is large, it is somewhat slow-moving. The Komodo Dragon has more bacteria in its mouth than any other creature. It bites and an infection enters the body that will kill even the largest animal. The Komodo Dragon doesn’t chase the prey. It bites and then slowly tracks its prey until it finds it dead.

fun lizards

Amphibians Vs. Reptiles

46. Even though toads are typically land dwellers, they are considered part of the amphibian family and are not a reptile.

47. Even though turtles are reptiles, because they live in the water, they are often confused with amphians.

48. Amphibians are organisms live a kind of double life. They can live on land as well as in water.

49. Reptiles have adapted to live completely on dry land. Unlike amphibians, they breathe through lungs. The scales they have on their body help to retain moisture. It also protects them against predators

50. Both make great pets!

reptiles vs. amphibians for kids

These fun reptile facts are intended to spark conversation, curiosity and yes, learning. Enjoy, from my family to yours!

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