National Reptile Awareness Day is celebrated every October 21st. Reptiles are cold blooded, vertebrate animals that have scales or scutes, and most of which lay eggs (there are a few types of lizards and snakes that give live birth). There are three groups of reptiles which are the crocodilians (crocodiles, alligators, caimens, etc), the lepidosaurs (snakes, lizards, skinks, etc), and the turtles and tortoises. I think most people are well aware of this group of animals if not from in person experience, then at least from television and print.

National Reptile Awareness Day is a day that was developed to promote education, appreciation, and conservation of reptiles and their habitats. It can be celebrated in plenty of ways. For example, you can make a trip to your local zoo, nature park, or natural history museum to look for and educate yourself about reptiles. You can also go online and learn about local reptiles that way. Another way to celebrate would be to join or donate to a reptile conservation group. Some of these groups focus on habitat and species conservation while others focus on educating people about the needs of these special animals. Both of these are important and beneficial missions.

You can also consider getting a reptile as a pet. There are millions of homes in the United States alone that have pet reptiles. They are relatively clean, generally don’t require a huge amount of space, and can become quite friendly. Many of them do have very specific feeding and care needs, though, so before rushing out to get a pet reptile, do your research. Learn what they will need for diet, habitat, space, etc. and make sure you can provide all of those things before bringing your reptile home. Also keep in mind that many reptiles have bacteria on their skins that can be harmful to people if ingested, so please don’t get pet reptiles for small children.

However you decide to celebrate National Reptile Awareness Day, you have to admit that these interesting and cool animals are important members of the animal kingdom and deserve our respect and admiration. And whatever else you do, make sure you have some fun and enjoy this fantastic day!

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