Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Turtles & Tortoises
Turtles’ existence have been on earth for 200 million years. They evolved8 before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards. Species like American Box Turtle are able to live for more than a hundred years of age. Turtles are able to live in any condition as long as it is warm enough to allow them to complete their breeding process.
The top domed part of a turtle's shell is called the carapace while the bottom underlying part is called the plastron.
The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together.
The edge of the shell are covered with scutes that are derivatives of skin and enhances any additional strength and protection
^ Names of the parts on turtle shell
Most turtle species consist of five toes on each limb with a few exceptions, including the American Box Turtle of the carolina species that only has four toes, and in some cases, only three.
Turtles have good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. Hearing and sense of touch are both good and even the shell also do contains nerve endings.
Some aquatic turtles can absorb oxygen through the skin on their neck and cloacal areas allowing them to remain submerged underwater for extended periods of time and enabling them to hibernate underwater.
Turtles are one of the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles and have outlived many other species. One can only wonder if their unique shell is responsible for their success.
^ Ameican Box Turtle
Sources :
· info - Discovery
· image - Name of parts of turtle shell, TurtleRescue
