There are many differences but the most easily distinguished
bones are the vertebra. In reptiles, the concave part of the
centrum faces the anterior, while in mammals and other animals it
always faces posterior. Snake vertebra are also easy to distinguish
from other reptiles and mammals because of the presence of the
zygosphene and zygantrum. These are articular processes on either
side of the snake vert that keep the vertebral column from twisting
side-to-side. These processes are not present in any other animal's
vertebrae. There are also obvious differences, such as the bony
elements of the turtle shell that can differentiate mammal from
reptile.