While water is essential to life, too much water or other liquids can overwhelm living systems. Excess liquids can, for example, decrease a living system’s access to oxygen, promote excessive bacterial or fungal growth, or strip away soil and nutrients. To prevent the accumulation of excess liquids, living systems must control the movement of liquids across their boundaries or surfaces. They do so using waterproofing materials or structures, slowing flow, and/or facilitating flow to move the liquid away. Plant leaves, for example, commonly have waxy surfaces comprised of water-repelling chemicals to keep water from engorging the leaves or facilitating bacterial and fungal growth.
Class Reptilia (“creeping”): Lizards, crocodiles, turtles, snakes
Reptiles retain some of the key characteristics that first enabled vertebrates to live permanently on land. They have dry skin covered in scales made of keratin that help prevent water loss. (Amphibians still need to stick close to water to keep their skin moist.) Many reptiles reproduce by laying eggs that are watertight and have a yolk, so eggs can develop on land while staying moist and nourished. Reptiles are also ectotherms, meaning they don’t produce their own body heat. This means they burn through energy much more slowly than “warm blooded” creatures of the same size. It also means that they need to keep warm to keep active, which is why you might see them spending a seemingly inordinate amount of time simply basking in the sun.
The ears of crocodiles seal out water using fitted muscular flaps.
American crocodile in La Manzanilla swamp, in the state of Jalisco, Mexico.
“Muscular external nostril and ear flaps on crocodilians seal out water.” (Fowler and Miller 2003:59)
Learn what’s new on AskNature by signing up for our e-newsletter.
Each month, we’ll bring you a selection of compelling updates to this ever-growing library of biological strategies and innovations.
We use cookies to give you the best browsing experience. By clicking the Accept button you agree to the terms of our privacy policy.
