What Is A Group Of Reptiles Called? (Various Species Covered)


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If you want to find out what a group of reptiles is called then you’ve come to the right article.

As, in this article, you’ll find the exact answer to this question and after you’ve read the answer to the main question then I’ll cover the answers to a few more closely related questions as well to hopefully extend your knowledge further.

I hope you learn a lot from this article!

What Is a Group of Reptiles Called?

It depends on the type of reptile species you’re talking about to know what the reptile group in question is called.

There are many different terms for groupings of reptiles and some types have more than one collective noun.

For example, a group of crocodiles may be called a bask, a congregation, a float, or a nest.

Multiple snakes may be referred to as a bed, a slither, a den, a nest, or a pit.

Some species, like vipers, have their own commonly used collective nouns.

This can be confusing at times particularly if it’s a word that’s also used more broadly.

For instance, ‘nest’ refers to a group of non-specific snakes and, specifically, a grouping of vipers.

What Is a Group of Snakes Called?

Commonly used terms for a group of snakes include a den, a slither, a nest, a pit, or a bed.

These words can be all used to refer to a grouping of more than one snake.

They’re also not species-dependent and can, therefore, be used to describe any type of snake.

It’s, however, also worth noting that some of these words are commonly associated with specific species as well.

For instance, ‘nest’ is often used to describe more than one viper but may be used in a broader sense as well.

What Is a Group of Lizards Called?

There’s one commonly used term for a group of lizards which is a “lounge”.

A lounge of lizards is a grouping of more than one lizard (from no particular species).

And it’s not difficult to see how these sun-worshiping creatures earned their name as they spend much of the day lounging on warm rocks and soaking up the sun’s energy.

What Is a Group of Crocodiles Called?

There are several terms for a grouping of crocodiles.

They include a bask, a nest, a congregation, and a float.

Like lizards, they earned at least one of these names (bask) due to their habit of basking in the sunshine.

Almost all reptiles are cold-blooded which means they depend on the sun to increase their body temperature each day.

Check out the video below if you want to see large groups of small and big Nile crocodiles.

What Is a Group of Alligators Called?

Just like crocodiles, alligators are also referred to as a ‘congregation’ when they are in groups.

Sometimes, they get called ‘a family’ but this is a little less common when not referring to a specific family unit of alligators.

It’s not unusual to hear multiple alligators being described as a nest, or a bask but ‘congregation’ is the accurate term, in the end.

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What Is a Group of Chameleons Called?

The collective noun for a group of chameleons is a camp.

It’s, however, not a commonly used term because these reptiles are not social creatures.

They prefer to live alone and spend only a fraction of their lives among other chameleons.

The only time they congregate in groups is during mating season.

What Is a Group of Turtles Called?

Groups of turtles can be described as a bale, a turn, a nest, or a dole.

Bale is the most commonly used noun and it’s thought to be because reptiles appear like bales of wood or other natural materials when clustered together.

In any case, grouping in bales is the turtles’ best defense against predators both on land and in the water.

Check out the video below if you want to see large groups of green sea turtles at the Great Barrier Reef.

What Is a Group of Baby Lizards Called?

There are no species-specific terms for baby lizards.

They’re normally called ‘neonates’ or hatchlings’ which are words that are typically used to describe any juvenile reptile including snakes and turtles.

Neonate is the appropriate term for a newborn lizard that’s less than four weeks old.

Juvenile lizards are called hatchlings after this point and up until they reach maturity.

What Is a Large Group of Lizards Called?

More than one lizard (from any species) being in one place can be referred to as a ‘lounge’ of lizards.

It doesn’t matter how many lizards are in the group as the same term applies whether there are four or forty-four.

What Is a Group of Snake Eggs Called?

More than one snake egg is called a ‘clutch’ of eggs.

Oviparous (egg laying) snakes lay their eggs in a burrow and, for most, that’s the extent of their involvement.

Most species leave their eggs to hatch and survive on their own.

What Is a Family of Reptiles Called?

Reptiles are a remarkably diverse group of animals with many different habits and preferences.

Some species like turtles prefer to live in groups, while others like snakes live solitary lifestyles.

It’s no surprise then to learn there isn’t one single word to describe a grouping or family of reptiles.

It depends on the species being referred to.

For instance, a group or family unit of alligators may be called a congregation or, less commonly, a den.

A group of snakes may be referred to as a bed, a slither, a den, a nest, or a pit.

Some collective nouns for toads and frogs include knab, knot, and nest.

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How Many Different Groups of Reptiles Are They?

There are four types (or groups) of reptiles in the animal kingdom.

They are Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, caimans), Squamata (lizards, snakes), Sphenodontia (tuatara lizards), and Testudines (turtles).

What Are the Four Main Groups of Reptiles?

All reptiles can be categorized into one of four groups: Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, caimans), Squamata (lizards, snakes), Sphenodontia (tuatara lizards), or Testudines (turtles).

Squamates are by far the most diverse group numbering around 7,600 species.

The second most populous group is the Testudines with around 294 different turtle species.

There are 23 known species of crocodilian and, sadly, only two remaining species of Sphenodontia (tuatara lizards).

What Are the Two Largest Groups of Reptiles?

The largest and heaviest reptiles in the world belong to the Crocodilia group.

The first is the Saltwater Crocodile which can weigh as much as 2,000 lbs (and even more in some rare cases) and measures anywhere between 14 and 17 feet in length.

The second is the hefty Nile Crocodile which can weigh as much as 1,650 lbs and measure anywhere from 12 to 16 feet in length.

While the largest lizard can’t match the crocodilians when it comes to size, the largest lizard is still massive when compared to most other lizard species.

The Komodo Dragon is approximately eight feet in length, can grow to over 90 lbs, and has a venomous bite capable of killing a human within hours.

What Is the Most Diverse Group of Reptiles?

Squamates are by far the most diverse reptile group.

They number around 7,600 species including 2,900 species of snakes and 4,500 species of lizards.

The second most populous group after lizards is Testudines (turtles) with just 294 different species.

Wouter

Wouter is a passionate animal-related blogger who enjoys researching and writing about animal-related topics.

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