We know that a reptile is an animal that has dry, scaly skin and breathes by means of its lungs. We also know that reptiles are cold blooded. But did you know that reptiles first appeared on earth some 340 million years ago, during an age known as the Carboniferous Period on earth? The very first reptiles looked some-what like the lizards that you see today, and scientists say that they evolved from amphibians.
The first reptiles were small and quite overshadowed by the huge amphibians that lived during those times. However, during the Carboniferous Period, drier conditions prevailed on earth and reptiles had an advantage over the amphibians who needed water to lay their eggs. Reptiles adapted much better than amphibians to the new conditions on the planet, and as a result, they began dominate the Earth.
The Age after the Carboniferous Period, the Mesozoic Period is known as the Age of the Reptiles, for this was the time when they ruled the earth. Different types of reptiles existed during this time. When the first flying reptiles appeared, some of the other reptiles returned to the seas and lakes, while the dinosaurs remained to dominate the land.