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PLEASE HELP- wording require for id key: |
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wildknowledge Member Joined: 24 Jul 2008 No. of posts: 3  View other posts by wildknowledge |
Posted: 24 Jul 2008 Hi, just wondering if anyone can help... I'm working on an electronic key for the uk reptiles and amphibians and was hoping that you might be able to help me with a diffinitive difference between newts and lizards. Obviously one is a reptile, the other an amphibian, and I can clearly see which is which, but these keys are used by kids who've never seen either before and I'm struggling to find a question that splits the two groups for those who don't just 'know'. To the untrained eye, they are both of similar body shapes, have legs and a tail, I just can't think of the right wording to give a definitive split. Any ideas? Any constructive advice would be gratefully received! Lou  |
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GemmaJF Admin Group Joined: 25 Jan 2003 No. of posts: 2090  View other posts by GemmaJF |
Posted: 24 Jul 2008 The obvious one is that reptiles have scales, amphibians do not. An interesting one is that newts have four toes and lizards have five though this can be difficult to spot from a photograph. It causes a lot of problems, we have dozens of records of 'common lizards' with a lovely picture of a newt sent as confirmation of the identification Gemma Fairchild, Independent Ecological Consultant |
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wildknowledge Member Joined: 24 Jul 2008 No. of posts: 3 View other posts by wildknowledge |
Posted: 24 Jul 2008 haha, I can imagine. Thanks so much for that, I had already gone for the scales/no scales split but the toe fact will be an interesting addition to the species info. Thanks Gemma, much appreciated! Lou  |
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will Senior Member Joined: 27 Feb 2007 No. of posts: 330 View other posts by will |
Posted: 24 Jul 2008 Just to make clear re the toes that it's four on the front for newts but five on the hind limbs (unless one's been bitten off and has yet to regrow...) |
- PLEASE HELP- wording require for id key |
