Identifying poisonous snakes

Different types of turtles

American bull frogs

Introduction to mud caudata sirens

What are fire salamanders

Different types of turtles

The turtle is a reptile that has changed little from prehistoric times. Its soft, vulnerable body is encased in a hard shell into which it can pull its head and limbs, should danger arrive. They differ from other reptiles, because of their shells and the fact that they have a beak instead of teeth. Some turtles live on land while other turtles live in the sea. Whether they live on land or in the sea, all turtles have four strong limbs, which can be used for swimming or walking. Consisting of strong stout bones, the limbs stick out to the sides of the shell, leaving a wide and short-strided track when it moves, just as its prehistoric predecessor ctylosaurs left.

The turtles horny beak, which has replaced the teeth is often as sharp as a knife. Turtles cannot chew, but they can eat any kind of food by cutting it to bits with their beaks. Most turtles are omnivorous, but most land-living turtles are vegetarians, feeding on grasses, leaves, fruits, and berries. However turtles who live in fresh water tend to be carnivorous, feeding on not only fish, but also frogs and tadpoles. Sea turtles will feed on both plant and animal life, with some species more vegetarian than others.

A turtle’s shape is determined by its diet and how they must acquire it. Land turtles, with their vegetarian diets, tend to be heavy, dome-shaped and slow because their feeding habits don’t require any special movements. On the other hand, turtles that live in the water are more streamlined and faster because they have to swim after their food. Fresh water turtles eat dead and sick fish, thus helping to keep their environment clean.

Turtles, like all reptiles, need less oxygen than most mammals and birds, due to the fact that their bodies maintain approximately the same temperature as the surroundings. They do not have to burn oxygen to stay warm. Because of this, aquatic turtles can stay underwater for long periods of time without having to come up for air. They are als able to “breathe” in oxygen by absorbing it into their cloaca, or excretory chamber.

Turtles also have very small brains. Their reflex actions are far more developed than their intelligence. The keenest sense by far is their sense of smell. They are not able to see very well, but can pick up vibrations with their whole body, even through their shell.

Unlike birds, turtles do not lay eggs with hard shells. Their eggs are elastic like parchment, allowing moisture to enter. They lay their eggs in excavations in the damp sand or ground. While a land turtle usually lays between 4 and 20 eggs, sea turtles can lay upwards of one hundred eggs. A sea turtle must lay so many eggs because many of their eggs are eaten by other animals before they hatch, while others are snatched up after they hatch. Land turtles, on the other hand, do not have so many enemies thus their survival does not require them to lay quite so many eggs. The turtle has over 180 species and can be found all across the globe in many different climates and environments, surviving thousands of years virtually unchanged from its prehistoric roots.

Written by Lisa Carattini