Created not only for reptile lovers to celebrate, but National Reptile Awareness Day also promotes education, conservation, and appreciation for reptiles. It is a day to learn about their natural habitats and the ecological threats that they are facing.

A reptile is any amniote that is neither a mammal nor a bird, is cold-blooded, has scales or scutes and can lay eggs on land. Scutes are the thick bony or horny plates which form the dermal layer of such reptiles like turtles and crocodiles.

There are more than 10,000 species of reptiles.