Question

Give scientific reasons.
Though tortoise lives on land as well as in water, it cannot be included in class- Amphibia. <!--td {border: 1px solid #ccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--> [Textbook Question No.6a Pg no. 75]

Answer 1

• Tortoise is an animal belonging to class reptilia.
• It can live on both land and water which is one of the important characters of class Amphibia.
• Tortoise cannot be regarded as an amphibian because there are certain characters possessed by amphibians that are not applicable to reptiles
• These include presence of moist skin, absence of neck, and presence of external ear modified as tympanum.
• On the other hand, reptiles have dry skin, show presence of neck and lack an external ear.
• These characters shown by reptiles are the exact opposite of the characters shown by members of calss Amphibia.
• Therefore even though tortoise lives on land as well as in water, it cannot be included in
• class Amphibia as it does not show all the characters possessed by amphibians.