Turtle Information


Turtle Information

There are 37 informational link matches for 'Turtle'.
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Turtle

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Turtles, a generic name for the group of reptiles which includes tortoises and terrapins, are reptiles most of whose body is shielded by a special bony shell developed from their ribs. All extant, or living, turtles are members of the order Testudines, which includes both living and extinct varieties of turtle.

There are two major groups of turtles: sea turtles, which grow to large sizes and live in the oceans in the temperate and tropical regions of the earth, and fresh-water turtles.

Fresh-water turtles which spend the majority of their time on the land are generally called tortoises. In the United Kingdom aquatic fresh-water turtles are known as terrapins. Fresh-water turtles are generally much smaller, ranging in size from a few centimeters to a few feet long. All turtles have a protective shell around their bodies. The top part of their case is called the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge.

The size of turtles can vary from a few centimetres to up to two meters. Turtles generally live a long time; some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years.

The first turtles already existed in the era of the dinosaurs, some 200 million years ago. Turtles are the only surviving branch of the even more ancient clade Anapsida, which includes groups such as the procolophonoids, millerettids and pareiasaurs. All anapsid skulls lack a temporal opening. All other extant amniotes have temporal openings (although in mammals the hole is obscured). Most of the anapsids became extinct in the late Permian period, with the exception of the procolophonoids and the precursors of the testudines (turtles).

Even though they spend large amounts of their lives underwater, turtles are air-breathing reptiles, and must surface at regular intervals to refill their lungs with fresh air. They also spend part of their lives on dry land. Sea turtles lay their eggs on dry sandy beaches, and are highly endangered largely as a result of beach development and over hunting.

Aquatic respiration in Australian freshwater turtles is currently being studied. Some species have large cloacal cavities that are lined with many finger-like projections. These projections, called "papillae", have a rich blood supply, and serve to increase the surface area of the cloaca. The turtles can take up dissolved oxygen from the water using these papillae, in much the same way that fish use gills to respire.

Taxonmony

Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family:

Source: Wikipedia Read more about Turtles

INFO LINKS

Sea Turtle
The Wild Ones
There are eight species of sea turtles! Read More

Eastern Box Turtle
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
"Box turtles are the only turtles with hinges on the bottom of their shells. This means they can close up their shells". Information in the form of FAQs. Read More

Turtle
Animal Tracks of Humboldt County
Natural History of Turtle, Identifying Turtle tracks. Read More

Alligator Snapping Turtle
Honolulu Zoo
Information on distribution, breeding, nesting, diet, etc. "Largest freshwater turtle in the world". Read More

Amazon Turtle
Honolulu Zoo
Information on distribution and habitat, diet, reproduction and growth, etc. Read More

Arrau River Turtle
Honolulu Zoo
"To 31 inches. Largest species of the genus". Information on distribution, breeding, nesting, diet, etc. Read More

Matamata Turtle
Honolulu Zoo
"Translated from Spanish, matamata means "I kill, I kill". Information on distribution, breeding, nesting, diet, etc. Read More

Southeast Asia Box Turtle
Yunnan Animal Museum
About Southeast Asia Box Turtle Read More

Ornate Box Turtle
Sedgwick County Zoo
Ornate Box Turtle fact sheet Read More

Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle
Sedgwick County Zoo
Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle fact sheet Read More

Green Sea Turtle
MarineBio.com
Green Sea Turtle: facts, pictures, habitat, and other information Read More

Alligator Snapping Turtle
National Geographic
Alligator Snapping Turtle fact sheet and pictures Read More

Leatherback Sea Turtle
National Geographic
Leatherback Sea Turtle fact sheet and pictures Read More

Loggerhead Sea Turtle
National Geographic
Loggerhead Sea Turtle fact sheet and pictures Read More

Mud turtle
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
"They are small turtles, only 3 to 5 inches long, and eat tadpoles, worms, insects, and plantsa". Information in the form of FAQs. Read More

Snapping turtle
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
Brief Narrative. "This is a dangerous turtle." Read More

Black-breasted Leaf Turtle
Yunnan Animal Museum
Categorized information on feeding habits, features, category, distribution, protection, etc. Read More

Turtle
Oceanes - the holiday designer
Brief description and categorized information about Turtle Read More

Eastern Snake Necked Turtle
Unique Australian Animals
Categorized information on Eastern Snake Necked Turtle including description, habitat, feeding, etc. Has nice pictures, too. Read More

Soft-shell turtle
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
Information presented in the form of FAQs. "These turtles look like big leathery pancakes." Read More

Terrapin
Pelotes Island Nature Preserve
Information presented in the form of FAQs. Read More

Sea Turtle
Queensland Government - Environmental Protection Agency
"A sea turtle can be aged 3050 before it begins to breed. Combined with this, the breeding season might be once in only two to eight years".Brief Information Read More

Map Turtle
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Brief information with image Read More

Painted Turtle
The Longpoint schoolhouse
Brief Information and photo. 'The Painted Turtle is a medium sized 10-25 cm turtle with a shell with numerous red and light yellow markings on the serrated edge." Read More

Burmese Turtle
Yunnan Animal Museum
Categorized information on feeding habits, features, category, distribution, protection, etc. Read More

Mata Mata Turtle
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links Read More

Yellow-Spotted Amazon River Turtle
Animals Of The Rainforest
Brief description, taxonomic information, pictures, and links Read More

Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle
National Wildlife Federation
Categorized information about Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Read More

Common Snapping Turtle
Wind Cave National Park
Fact Sheet Read More

Common Snapping Turtle
The University of Georgia
Fact Sheet Read More

Eastern Box Turtle
The University of Georgia
Fact Sheet Read More

Softshell Turtle
The University of Georgia
Fact Sheet Read More

Yellow-bellied Slider Turtle
The University of Georgia
Fact Sheet Read More

Turtle
Reptilecare.com
Information in a narrative format Read More

Alligator Snapping Turtle
Houston Zoo
About Alligator Snapping Turtle Read More

Painted Turtle
Rickert's Garden
Narrative about Painted Turtle Read More

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