Turtle Facts

Learning about turtles and tortoises can be fun and surprising. Since they have been on the earth for more than 200 million years, many interesting facts have been discovered through the centuries. For example, many people still believe that turtles can come completely out of their shells. This is untrue. Below are some things to learn about these wonderful animals.

Chelonian Facts
* The first known turtles existed 200 million years ago.


* There are approximately 300 species of turtles.


* Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.


* Turtles are cold-blooded. One way they regulate their temperature is by basking.


* Some turtles, such as the Musk turtle, emit an odor when startled.


* Not all turtles and tortoises hibernate.


* The blood of hibernating turtles acts somewhat like antifreeze, allowing it to tolerate cold temperatures.


* Some female turtles produce eggs four years after mating.


* Many species make sound, especially while mating.


* Incubation temperature determines the sex of the hatchling.


* All turtles lay their eggs on land.


* Hatching turtles have an egg tooth at the end of their beak to help open the egg.


* Some land turtles can out run a human.


* The smallest turtle, the Speckled Padloper is 4". The largest is the Leatherback sea turtle, that can
reach up to 10' in length.


* Turtle shells DO break.


* The color and patterns of each species allows them to blend into their natural environment.


* Turtles can regrow bony and keratin tissue.


* Not all turtles have hard shells. For example, Softshell turtles and sea turtles have flexible shells.


* Box turtles are not the only turtles with a hinge to allow part of their shell to move.


* Turtle shells are built into their skeleton.


* The top shell, the carapace, is made up of approximately 50 bones.


* Counting the growth rings on the scutes (scales) of the top shell does not tell the age of the turtle or tortoise.


* Some turtles have hinges on their shells to enable them to close up tightly inside.


* Turtles cannot protrude their tongues from their mouths.


* Aquatic turtles have streamlined shells to help them move through the water. They also have webbing between their toes.


* Aquatic turtles must be in water to eat.


* Tortoises only go to water to drink. They do not swim.


* Some tortoises can dig burrows 45 feet long.


* Many turtles are expert climbers.


* Land turtles ears are sensitive to ground vibration.


* A group of turtles is classically called a bale.


* One of the most common health problems is MBD, Metabolic Bone Disease, caused by improper diet and care.


* All turtles and tortoises do not have the same habitat and nutritional requirements. Therefore, it is very important to research the kind of animal you have or plan to own.


* Turtles have good eyesight, seeing in full color and a strong sense of smell. They have excellent hearing and sense of touch. Their shells have feeling due to nerve endings.


* Instead of teeth, turtles have a sharp beak for eating. Depending on species, the beak may be scissor-like, hook-like, or serrated. The earliest turtles did have teeth and could not retract their head.


* Some turtles can live up to a year without food.


* Tortoises from dry environments have thick scales on the skin to prevent fluid evaporation. Aquatic and semi-aquatic turtles have thinner skin and lack heavy scales.


* Turtles shed their skin in small flakes rather than pieces like other reptiles.


* Sea turtles can swim up to 35 mile per hour.


* Several species, including the American Box turtle, can live to be over 100 years old.


* One documented case of longevity is of an adult Indian Ocean Giant Tortoise. After being captured and estimated to be 50 years old, it lived another 152 years in captivity.


DEFINITIONS


A
Anterior - Towards the head or front of the shell
Aquatic - Living in water.
Areola - The center are of the scute.


B
Bask, Basking - To be in sunlight or a warm atmosphere.
Beak - The horny covering of the jaws. Some species have a notch or cusp in the upper beak.
Bridge - The part of the shell that connects the carapace and the plastron.
Brumation - hibernation.


C
Carapace - The top shell of a chelonian.
Carnivore - An animal that eats the flesh of other animals; Meat eaters.
Caudal - The tail area.
Chelonian - A tortoise, turtle and terrapene.
CITES - Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species. This was set up to
regulate the trade of species that are endangered or likely to be endangered.
Cloaca - The chamber in the tail where digestive, urinary, and reproductive products are discharged.
Clutch - The name of the group of eggs laid by a female.
Cusp - A sharp projection at the end of the jaw.


E
Egg Binding - A condition when a female turtle is unable to lay her eggs.
Egg Tooth - A small bony projection at the end of the upper jaw of a hatchling turtle used to pierce the egg shell while hatching.
Estivate - Inactivity during periods of drought and/or high temperatures. This is not to be confused with hibernation.

G
Genetic - Pertaining to genes.
Genus - A category of biological classification ranking between family and species.
Gestation - The period between fertilization and the laying of the eggs.
Gravid - Having eggs.


H
Habitat - An environment where an animal naturally lives.
Hatchling - The turtle just after it leaves its egg.
Herpetology - The study of reptiles and amphibians.
Hibernation - Winter inactivity where specific biolgoical changes occur. Not all chelonians hibernate.
Hinge - A moveable joint in the shell.
Hybrid - An offspring from parents who are not the same species or subspecies.


I
Incubation - The phase of the egg after being laid and before hatching. During this period, it needs proper temperatures and humidity.

J
Juvenile - Not sexually mature


K
Keel - A lengthwise ridge running lengthwise along the carapace, usually the center. Some turtles have more than one keel.
Keratin - Fibrous protein present in structures such as the carapace scutes, beaks and claws.


L
Lateral - Pertaining to the side.


M
Marginal scutes - The small scutes along the edge of the carapace.


N
Nares - The openings to the nasal cavity.
Necrosis - Tissue that is no longer living
Nitrate - The final stage of digestive filtration, containing ammonia and nitrate. Many turtles and tortoises expel this, appearing as a white, thick substance when eliminating.
Nocturnal - Active at night.
Nuchal Scute - A small scute on some turtles at the front of the carapace.


P
Plastron - The bottom shell of a chelonian.
Pleural scutes - Scutes running along each side of the carapace, next to the vertebral scutes.

R
Renal - Pertaining to the kidneys.
RH - Relative humidity.


S
SCL - The measuring of the straight carapace length of a turtle, not going over the curve.
Savannah - An area of open plains and grasses.
Scute - The scales covering the bones of a turtles shell.
Serrated - Jagged.
Subcutaneous - Beneath the skin.
Subspecies - A subdivision of a single species.
Substrate - The material(s) used on the flooring of a turtle pen. This can be mulch, dirt, sand, and/or other natural materials.
Suture - The seams between two boney areas.
Supracaudal scute - The scute above the tail.
Supramarginal scutes - A series of small scutes running between the pleural and marginal scutes. Not all turtles have these.
Systemic - Affecting the entire body.


T
Temperate - Environments where winter and summer is experienced.
Terrestrial - Living on the ground.
Tomium - The sharp beak of a turtle.


V
Ventral - Regarding the underside.
Vertebral - Relating to the spine. The vertebral scutes run along the top of the carapace.
Vivarium - An indoor set-up for an animal.

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