Today, there are more than 10,000 species that have been added to the Reptile Database. ... Reptiles are a group of vertebrates with skin made of scales or body plates ...

The first thing to understand is that all pet reptiles shed their skin or epidermis. There’s sometimes a misconception that only snakes shed—or that tortoises don’t need to.

Most reptiles are covered in dry, scaly skin. They can be found living in both water and on the land. ... Scales – Scales are hard overlapping plates which cover an animal's body.