Reptiles | 485 animal welfare, tsar ba’ale hayyim in modern dress, spread to North America, Australia, continental Europe, and around the world Christianity and Animal Rights There matters rested until 1976, when yet another Anglican priest, Rev Dr Andrew Linzey, published Animal Rights: a Christian Perspective In this and subsequent books, Professor Linzey brought the Christian view of animals full circle by moving beyond the Biblical Compromise, back to the original view of Jesus and the Latter Prophets, that nonhuman animals have moral equality with human beings In fact, Professor Linzey goes farther by arguing that the essence of Christian ethics, as expressed in the life and teachings of Jesus, is to serve those who suffer and are powerless to end their suffering And since, as a generality, animals suffer more grievously and have less power than human beings, they actually have a kind of moral priority “The uniqueness of humanity,” Professor Linzey tells readers in his book Animal Theology, “consists in its ability to become the servant species.” Further Reading Phelps, Norm 2002 The dominion of love: Animal rights according to the Bible Brooklyn, NY: Lantern Books Phelps, Norm 2004 The great compassion: Buddhism and animal rights Brooklyn, NY: Lantern Books Norm Phelps REPTILES Reptiles are poorly understood by most people, which leads to their mistreatment In their natural environments, they may be killed by fearful humans or by those seeking their skins Reptiles are becoming more popular as pets, but in this role they may also suffer due to human ignorance about reptilian physical needs The traditional classification of the class Reptilia includes turtles, squamates (lizards, snakes, and relatives), crocodilians, and the two recognized species of tuatara The later are relic and highly protected species found on several islands off the coast of New Zealand All reptiles share several traits, including being ectothermic (dependent on external sources of heat) and covered with hard plates, scales, or bony shells Reptiles live in almost all habitats, except for year-round subfreezing or deep sea environments Within these limits, reptiles have adapted to many conditions, exploit a wide range of food items with diverse foraging methods, and have evolved diverse social systems All tuataras, turtles, and crocodilians lay eggs, with the last group also showing a highly developed system of nest guarding and post-hatching parental care Squamate reptiles, which constitute about 95 percent of all reptile species, have egg-laying, egg retention (ovoviviparity), and viviparous reproduction, the first two sometimes occurring in the same species Egg brooding and postnatal parental solicitude also occur in a number of squamate species, and complex social and multigenerational groups have been documented in some lizards Social, foraging, and anti-predator defensive behavior can differ greatly within and between closely related forms, especially in squamates Thus it is very difficult to generalize across species, which raises problems in maintaining many species in captivity, developing effective conservation plans, studying their behavior, and understanding the way they experience their lives