There are four groups of vertebrates, or animals with backbones, that live on land: amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Of these, reptiles have some of the most varied body shapes, behaviors, and habitats where they live.
And reptiles do some really cool things! Some tortoises live up to 200 years. Other reptiles can go dormant, or mostly inactive, for six months to survive the winter. Many can regrow body parts. Studying reptile genomes could help us understand how the regeneration process works and suggest ideas for how to apply it in medical treatments for people someday.