水中から陸へコロニーを移した爬虫類は、硬い鱗や、毒素を水に溶けにくい尿酸にして排泄する方法、効率的な熱の活用による体温制御、有羊膜卵…など、乾燥した環境に適応すべく進化を遂げました。本書では現生種を確認し、ヘビの給餌パターンからワニの呼吸の仕組みまで、それぞれが生息環境にどう適応したのかを見ていきます。また、乱獲や生息地の破壊、気候変動などが爬虫類にもたらす絶滅の脅威と対策についても検討します。
 

• Introduces the extraordinary diversity of reptiles which have walked the Earth, from the dinosaurs of the past to modern day living species
• Discusses the evolutionary history of reptiles, and the individual adaptions which have fitted them for their unique ways of life
• Analyses individual groups such as snakes, lizards, crocodiles and turtles and explores their biology and behaviour
• Contemplates threats to modern day reptiles such as over-exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate change

    
For millions of years reptiles have walked, crawled, and slithered over the face of our Earth. From the mighty dinosaurs who dominated the land, the pterosaurs who took to the air, and the marine adapted ichthyosaurs, to the living reptiles today such as the lizards, snakes, crocodiles, and turtles, plus the single species of tuatara in New Zealand, reptiles have come in all shapes and sizes. 
  
In this Very Short Introduction Tom Kemp discusses the adaptations reptiles made to first leave the sea and colonise the land in dry conditions, such as their waterproof skin, their ability to expel almost dry waste products, their efficient use of external heat for maintaining their body temperature, and the amniotic egg that is laid and develops on dry land. Considering the different living groups of reptiles today, Kemp then describes how their respective bodies are adapted for their different ways of life, from snake feeding patterns to the way crocodiles breathe. Finally, Kemp assesses the threat of extinction to reptile species due to over-exploitation, habitat destruction, and climate change, and considers what can be done.