Reptiles are animals of this order for more than 220 million years. Turtles can live in the sea and on land, in salt and fresh water.

The exact origin of turtles to science is unknown, but already 200 million years ago, their ancestors had a strong shell. The largest fossil tortoise was more than 4 meters long, and weighed about 2 tons. The current individuals are more modest in size - they have armor length up to 2 meters, and weight up to 900 kg.

The peculiarity of these animals is a small streamlined head, which the turtle can hide inside the shell in case of danger. There also hides a short tail. Turtles breed, laying eggs and burying them in the sand.

Although the tortoise’s brain is poorly developed, making up only 0.1% of body weight, the animal has color vision and good results in the field of intelligence. Turtles are one of the most beloved pets, children are drawn to them.

Proper care allows pets to live even in apartments under 40 years old. You can talk so much about turtles, that the abundance of information gave rise to some myths about these animals.

The turtle is a slow-moving animal.   Everyone knows the saying "slow as a turtle." This applies to large land turtles, which their heavy shell makes it difficult for them to move. But about the marine and freshwater animals can no longer be said. For example, in an aquatic environment, a turtle can reach speeds of up to 40 km / h.

Turtles swim well. It seems to many that water is the natural environment for turtles. However, only marine species swim well, freshwater species and only a few terrestrial ones. Other land and semi-aquatic types may even drown in water.

Turtles live a long time - more than 100 years.   Turtles are actually considered to be the long-livers of the animal world, but only overland vast species, for example, elephant species, live to 100 years or more. If we talk about pets with a length of about 30 cm, then they can only live to 50 years, and then only with good care and proper nutrition. Turtles 50-60 cm long can live to 60-70 years. This makes it possible to conclude that the age of the tortoise directly depends on the maximum size of its species. The most well-known science specimens-long-lived reached the bar in 170-180 years.

The turtles have a hard shell.   If the animal is deficient in calcium and becomes ill with rickets, the shell can become soft, being pushed through. This, in turn, can lead to the death of a turtle. There is also a kind of elastic turtles, whose shell is soft enough. This feature, oddly enough, helps protect against predators. After all, such turtles hide from enemies in the crevices of stones, “puffing up” their armor there and hopelessly stuck for a predator.

Turtles are amphibians.   Someone seems strange relationship tortoise with other amphibians, but this is a fact. Her relatives are indeed reptiles and reptiles, such as a lizard, a crocodile, and a snake.

The turtle can at any time get rid of the shell.   This is only possible if the body of the animal itself falls out of the shell. But this will mean that the tortoise is actually a half-decayed corpse. After all, its shell is in fact - the fused bones of the ribs and spine. His appearance, by the way, markedly changed the structure of the internal organs. The muscles of the body atrophied, but the legs and neck became noticeably stronger.

Turtle life is directly related to sand.   There are a large number of species of turtles and each of them lives in its own environment - these are steppes and forests, ponds and lakes, rivers, seas and mountains. You can not bind such a large detachment to only one medium.

Turtles are wise and intelligent animals. This statement was due to the fact that turtles live long. Accordingly, in the eyes of man, animals look wise, as their age helps to accumulate knowledge. But even when testing, turtles show rather good results. So, they can learn to find a way out of the maze and a place for feeding, surpassing snakes and lizards in testing. The results of the next test are also curious. The turtle moved along the rail behind the slow-moving feeder. Suddenly she disappeared behind a screen. The animal continued to move in the same direction, finding as a result its food on the other side of the screen. The solution of this problem was beyond the power of some birds, the default is smarter. There have been cases when in the deserts of the tortoise after the rains they construct pools for themselves in which water can persist for a long time. In North America, tricky turtles have learned to lay eggs in the alligator's nests, where predators wield much less frequently.

Turtles are easy to care for.   Turtles are wild animals. They sometimes possess territories several kilometers wide. Putting them just in the box will be a manifestation of cruelty. We would not like to be in their place and spend the rest of the days in the bathroom. Turtles are recommended to be kept in specially equipped terrariums. If the turtle is aquatic, then it is necessary to take 2/3 of the area with water. For an animal, it will be better to build a house in its size and maintain a constant warm temperature. In addition, certain demands are made on nutrition. Turtles should be fed a variety of plant food, and not cottage cheese, bread. The owner must remember that it is impossible to allow the animal to hibernate - this will lead to illness.

Turtles have excellent health.   There is a myth that these animals and the vet is not needed. The fact is that turtles have a slow metabolism, and they do not show signs of illness until the disease has gone far. The signs and symptoms are easily recognizable: closed and swollen eyes, loss of appetite, stay in the same place, moist eyes and nose. If such signs of a pet have appeared, it is necessary to urgently show it to the doctor.

It is best to purchase a turtle at the pet store. This statement is rather dubious. It is clear that many shop seems the most civilized place to make a purchase. However, think about what you have to do in order to deliver a turtle there. 90% of them on the road simply die. Perhaps the best option would be to find a turtle in some shelter or with familiar people.

Turtles sleep in the ground in their holes.   This statement is true for some species, for example, for box turtles. Some sleep in water like red eared turtles. Each species has its own habits. The owner also needs to remember - before hibernation, turtles should be strong and healthy.

Sometimes turtles hiss like snakes, this indicates that they are crazy.   Yes, sometimes a hiss can be heard from turtles, however this is not quite that. The fact is that when an animal is frightened, it begins to quickly draw in its head. The outgoing air makes such a sound. So this phenomenon is completely natural and unintended.

Turtles can eat anything.   Often, some turtles, like carnivores, require live food - snails, worms, fish. Hamburgers, hot dogs and the food we are used to do not suit them at all, because it isn’t in the wild. In addition, some species of water turtles in general can only eat under water.

Turtles can reside in rooms and artificial lighting.   In fact, these animals simply need real sunlight. This gives them the opportunity to grow normally and have strong bones. If the animals do not see the sun, then a condition known as metabolic bone disease may develop. In this case, the bones will disintegrate. So only in the sun can a turtle be truly happy.

Cute tiny turtles will always remain the same size.   This misconception is one of the most common. As a result, many people who have purchased pets quickly find that they are not very suitable for their home. After all, small turtles are usually very young, growing up, they quickly grow.

To get rid of salmonella germs, rinse the turtle enough. Reptiles (lizards, snakes, turtles) are found in 3% of families, with 90% of the animals infected with salmonella. It would be a mistake to think that simply washing the pet will solve the problem. No matter how clean it is, it can still carry dangerous bacteria. Therefore, it is important to always wash your hands after dealing with the turtle and its environment. Many people also consider it dangerous to start this animal in homes with small children or where they are expected to appear.

The females and male turtles are outwardly indistinguishable.   In aquatic turtles, males have a longer tail than females. In the case of land animals in males, femoral spurs are better expressed. Both those and others have a deepening on the plastron, with the help of which it is easier for males to hold their position during mating. Some species have a difference between sexes and in terms of size. Thus, in a star-shaped tortoise, males are smaller than females, while in a tortoise-like tortoise the picture is reversed. There are species in which males and females differ in the color of the iris. Thus, the female Carolynian box turtle has yellow eyes, and the males have red eyes.

Turtles do not distinguish colors.   In fact, these animals have pretty good color vision. When trying to write food, they are guided primarily by it, and not by taste and smell. It is noted that the land species especially liked the red color. That is why they are particularly interested in vegetables and fruits of this color, and even inedible things. Turtles like the green color, with light shades.

Turtles do not guard their eggs.   In general, for almost all species, this rule is true. Almost all turtles after laying eggs lose all interest in them. But this rule has its exceptions. For example, a brown turtle, builds a separate nest for its eggs, where the expectant mother protects them until the very moment of the appearance of offspring. The Bahamas decorated turtle takes care of the offspring. She finds her clutch right before hatching, digging out her front paws and helping the offspring to get out. Some species are able to regulate their population. At high density, the female lays less eggs, and at low density - on the contrary, more.

Turtles - alone in essence.   Usually it is, these animals prefer a solitary lifestyle. Only in the mating season, they are looking for a community of their own kind. So, toad turtles are so lonely that they react aggressively and beyond the mating period even to their relatives. But there are some species that congregate during wintering groups.

Popular myths.

It would be naive to believe that among men there are absolutely no misconceptions about women. Rather, the opposite is true. You can be sure of this by reading ...

Turtle - an ancient animal from the order of reptiles. It appeared more than 200 million years ago and, according to scientists, over the past 150 million years it has not changed.

The main distinguishing feature of the turtle is its shell. This is a complex bone-skin formation, which covers the turtle's body from all sides, protecting it from the attacks of predators. The inner part of the shell is formed by bone plates, and the outer - leathery shields. The shell consists of two parts - dorsal and ventral. The dorsal part, or carapax, has a convex shape, and the abdominal, or plastron, is flat. The turtle's body is firmly adhered to the shell, from which only the head, the limbs and the tail look out between the carapace and the plastron. In case of danger, the turtle can completely hide in its shell. The turtles have no teeth, but there is a strong, pointed beak at the edges, which allows it to bite off any food. Turtles, like some snakes and crocodiles, lay leathery eggs. Turtles do not care for their offspring. Immediately after laying eggs, they leave the clutch.

Diversity and lifestyle

There are over 300 species of different turtles. Some of them lead the land way of life, and some - adapted to live in the water. Freshwater turtles, in contrast to land turtles, have a more flattened and smooth shell, as well as membranes between the fingers. This helps them to skillfully swim in the water element. Sea turtles spend most of their lives in the seas and oceans. Only once a year, during the breeding season, they go ashore to lay their eggs in the coastal sand. The extremities of sea turtles have become flippers, which allow them to "soar" in the ocean depths.

Dimensions

Turtles are very different in size: the land spider turtle does not exceed 10 cm in length and weighs about 100 g, and the leatherback turtle reaches two and a half meters and has a weight of more than a semitone. The giant among land tortoises is the Galapagos elephant turtle. The length of its shell exceeds one meter, and the weight can be equal to four centners.

Coloring

Coloring turtles often modest, masking them in the color of the environment. But there are species with a very bright contrasting pattern. Thus, in a radiant tortoise in the center of the carapace of the shell on the main dark background there are bright yellow spots, from which the same yellow rays depart. The head and neck of a red-eared turtle are decorated with a pattern of wavy lines and stripes, and bright red spots are located behind the eyes.

Food ration

Land turtles mainly feed on plant food - grass, shrub leaves, juicy fruits. Freshwater and sea turtles are predators that eat fish, insects and their larvae, worms and mollusks. Land turtles can supplement their diet with animal food, and aquatic turtles - vegetable.

Lifespan

The turtle is a long-lived record holder among vertebrates. She can live more than a hundred years. There is a reliable case when the giant tortoise lived for 152 years. Scientists say that a turtle can live for two hundred years or more.

Turtle: brief information

Turtles are one of the most amazing species of reptiles, as they are perhaps the longest-lived animals on Earth. Some representatives of this species of reptiles can live more than 200 years. In nature, there are 2 types, 14 families, which include 328 species and 124 subspecies.

Turtles live on all continents with the exception of Antarctica, as well as in warm seas and oceans. This species of reptile is famous for its tendency to longevity, slow movements and thick armor.

The vast majority of turtles are herbivores.

Depending on the type, the shell can have a different shape, but it always performs the same function - protects the tender body of the turtle from attacks. In case of danger, the animal hides its head and legs, almost completely hiding inside its armor, which prevents the enemy from attacking again.

With their durable shell tortoises are considered among the most protected animals that now exist. They also have massive paws, culminating in toes with claws.

One of the most famous species of turtles is the Galapagos turtles. Even 200 years ago, the waters around the picturesque islands abounded with famous giant tortoises. Today, due to human control, this species of reptile is endangered.

Turtles appeared on Earth about 255 million years ago.

The largest turtles, whose remains could be found, belong to the Late Cretaceous. This is the sea turtle Archelon, which lived in North America, and whose skeleton in length left about 4.5 meters.

The sweep of the front legs was approximately 5.25 m, and the body weight was more than 2.2 tons. This is slightly smaller than that of the Stupendemys geographicus turtles, belonging to the family of pelomedus turtles. The fossil remains of a representative of this species of reptiles were found in Venezuela. These giants lived on the territory of the South American river about three million years ago. Presumably, they could be up to 3 meters long and weighs about 2 tons.

Do you know that turtles:

• are the only vertebrates in the world with an external skeleton;
• it is a cold-blooded species of reptile;
• according to reliable data, Galapagos giant tortoises from the Seychelles could live 200 years or more;
• the largest species is the leatherback turtle, close to extinction. It can reach up to 2 m in length and weigh more than 1 ton;
• the speed of movement depends on the ambient temperature;
• in marine species of a paw in the form of flippers;
• land species move at a maximum speed of 3 miles per hour;
• have no teeth, but instead have sharp horny stripes on the edge of the jaw;
• May 23 is World Turtle Day.

(Chelonia), a squad of reptiles, the only reptiles whose body is covered with armor. Found in all warm regions of the world. Several kinds ?? the inhabitants of the seas and oceans, but mostly land and freshwater forms.

This group appeared in the Triassic approx. 200 million years ago. Perhaps the turtles descended directly from the Cotilosaurus, the most primitive reptiles. Although the fossil remains supporting this hypothesis are few, the extinct genus Eunotosaurus   quite suitable for the role of evolutionary "link". This animal had a flattened body and strongly extended ribs.

Unlike their relatives snakes, turtles rarely served as an object of worship and never inspired much fear. Indeed, they pose practically no danger to human life. Is that a swimmer who is too close to the male leatherback turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea), can be caught by its strong flippers and drowned. The fact is that in a state of strong sexual arousal, he is able to take any large object as a female.

Anatomy. The body of the turtles is enclosed in shell, which partly also protects the head, neck and limbs. Its upper part, or karapaks, covers the back and sides of the reptile, lower, or plastron, ?? stomach. The shell is so strong that it can withstand a weight that is 200 times the weight of the wearer.

Usually, the inner layer of the shell is bone, and the outer layer is formed by a hard horny tissue. Both layers consist of a plurality of tightly fitted elements. Bone elements are called plates, and horny ?? shields. The greater strength of the shell is partly due to the fact that the boundaries between the inner plates and the outer plates do not coincide.

As the size of the turtle increases, the corneous substance grows along the edges of each shield. If growth is interrupted by periods of hibernation, annual rings are clearly distinguishable on the plates, allowing the individual to estimate the age.

The ribs grow together with the armor, so the chest is immobile. As a result, the turtle's breathing resembles the diaphragmatic, peculiar to humans and other mammals. Special muscles pull back the internal organs, allowing the lungs to fill with air; then the other muscles reverse the process, compressing the lungs. Some aquatic species are not fully dependent on pulmonary respiration and are able to absorb oxygen through the pharyngeal mucosa as well.

Differences between males and females (sexual dimorphism) are expressed differently depending on the species; sometimes they are completely invisible. Comparison of males and females of other species shows that the first one has a longer and thicker tail, and the anal orifice is located farther from its base. This dimorphism is especially well pronounced in huge sea turtles. Other gender differences relate to the shape of the plastron, the color and size of the head, as well as the overall dimensions of the body.

Mating and laying eggs.   Marital behavior begins with courtship, the forms of which are species specific. The male can “butt” and push the female, gently nibbling her. In large turtles, courtship is sometimes accompanied by a loud grumble. Males painted turtle ( Chrysemys picta) and decorated turtles ( Pseudemys) demonstrate tender feelings in a special way: while swimming backwards and dragging the female along, they stroke or pat it on the face with the long claws of their front paws.

Mating can occur on land or in water. In this case, the penis, in a quiet state, hidden at the base of the tail, extends through the opening of the cloaca. Females of some species of turtles can keep viable sperm for a long time (this is also characteristic of some other vertebrates), and one mating allows them to lay fertilized eggs for several years to come. However, their number decreases every year until a new batch of sperm is received.

Turtle eggs are oval or round, white or almost white. Females bury them in the ground to a depth not exceeding the length of the hind legs, or hide in a pile of rotting plants. Most often it is well lit places. Usually there is one clutch per year, but in some sea turtles their number reaches seven in one breeding season. Eggs in clutch, depending on the species from one to 200.

Hatching   Incubation and hatching period ?? the most dangerous in the life of turtles; At this time, numerous enemies regale them with delicious eggs and still soft babies. Mammals dig up clutches, and seabirds grab newly hatched turtles as they rush along the shore to the water. Once in the water, babies become prey for voracious fish. At this time, breeding sites of turtles usually accumulate a large number of lovers of their eggs and cubs. Depending on the type, hardening of the shell requires different times, but, as a rule, at least several months. After that turtles become relatively inaccessible to predators.

In nature, turtles grow quickly. A well-known example is that even in captivity there are Galapagos elephant turtles ( Geochelone elephantopus), starting at about 11 kg, they added the same amount annually until they began to weigh more than 100 kg. Many small species reach sexual maturity between the ages of 2 and 11 years.

Lifespan.   None of the known vertebrates live as long as turtles. Most of the information suggesting that their lifespan is a little longer than 50 years relates to individuals kept in captivity. Some species certainly live much longer. Age of the Caroline Box Turtle ( Terrapene carolina), found on Rhode Island, almost certainly reached 130 years. The maximum is considered a period of approx. 150 years, but it is possible that the actual life expectancy of individual individuals is much longer.

Nutrition. Turtles in general can be called omnivorous, although some species prefer vegetable food, others animal, and still others eat everything. Strictly specialized diet is rare. Some aquatic turtles feed only under water. Very young individuals need daily nutrition, but for adults it is not necessary. In fact, having eaten well, they can go without food for months, and possibly for years.

The turtles do not have teeth, and the sharp edges of their jaws are capable of biting food, but not chewing it. It is not easy for turtles to cope with rigid fibrous plants, and the meat of animals sometimes has to be torn to pieces with the help of claws on their front paws. In some species, inside the mouth there are horn ridges, which allow crushing prey protected by hard covers.

Sense organs and higher nervous activity.   Turtles are well distinguished smells at close range and, judging by some observations, use the sense of smell when choosing food. Vision is also well developed: these animals can be taught to recognize contours and colors. Both shell and scaly skin have tactile sensitivity, and the giant turtle even feels the pressure of a straw, which is carried out through its massive carapax. Although it has long been known that turtles sensitively perceive vibrations transmitted through the soil, their ability to perceive airborne sound waves has long caused controversy. Today, the existence of at least a weak “ordinary” hearing is considered proven.

Compared to other reptiles, turtles are very smart. They are easily trained to follow the owner, seem to enjoy the attention and are well accustomed to a particular regime. Apparently, some individuals are smarter than others. For example, among the six gofers Agassi ( Gopherus agassizi) living together, one individual, at her own will, climbed on an inclined plane onto a platform and rolled down the other side down a metal trough. She obviously liked such an occupation, and she repeated it for several hours in a row. But in some situations, the turtles are surprisingly slow. For example, they can spend a lot of strength climbing over an obstacle that is not difficult to get around; or for a long time trying to squeeze through the gap, much smaller than them in size.

MAIN FAMILIES More than 200 modern species of turtles have been described. These are only remnants of a huge number of species that existed in the era of reptiles, which lasted approximately 120 million years and ended approx. 70 million years ago. The species that survived to our time are combined into 12 families. The most famous of them are described below.

Cheloniidae   (sea turtles). Five or six types of family ?? large reptiles with limbs resembling oars or flippers. These are exclusively aquatic animals that go ashore just to lay eggs or bask in the sun. It is very difficult to move on land. At least one species is found in all warm oceans.

Green (soup) turtle ( Chelonia mydas) ?? the most famous of the sea turtles. It is spread across the globe, and it is from it that the famous turtle soup is prepared. Previously, these reptiles were in fact ruthlessly exterminated, often killing females just before laying eggs.

Dermochelyidae   (leatherback turtles). Leatherback turtle ( Dermochelys coriacea) ?? the only living species of this family. This giant can reach a mass of more than 680 kg with a sweep of the front flippers of 3.6 m. The leathery shell carries 7 longitudinal ridges on the dorsal side and 5 on the ventral. Although the range of these turtles covers all the warm oceans, they are the rarest among the widespread marine species of the order. The question of the systematic position of the group remains controversial. She was singled out in a special suborder Athecae (defenseless), but most experts converge only at the rank of the superfamily.

Trionychidae   (three horses). These turtles are easily recognizable by the soft leathery shell without any shields. They have a flat body, elongated conical muzzle and legs with swimming membranes. This is one of the most frisky turtles, quickly moving in the water and on land. The long neck allows you to grab food and painfully bite the enemy, even if they are at a considerable distance. The claws of large individuals can leave deep scratches. Representatives of certain species tolerate captivity well, living in it for up to 20 years or more (a record of ?? 25). Some tricycling turtles are highly valued for tasty meat. The largest of the 20 species ?? big soft turtle ( Pelochelys bibroni) lives in Southeast Asia; its shell reaches a length of more than 1.2 m. Representatives of this family live in North America, Africa, Southeast Asia, the Malay Archipelago and New Guinea. Three species are found in the USA.

Pelomedusidae, Chelidae (suborder co-turtles: pelomeduzovye and serpentine turtles). Representatives of these two families differ in how the neck is bent when the head is pulled under the edge of the shell: if the other turtles have a neck bent in a vertical plane, then they have ?? in the horizontal, which is explained by the special structure of the spine. Humpbacks live in the southern hemisphere or the areas closest to it and are not found in North America, Europe and Asia. Both families combine approx. 50 species. The most bizarre of all turtles ?? Matamata ( Chelus fimbriata) from South America ?? refers to serpentine. Her head is covered with many protruding protrudes. At the Australian serpentine turtle ( Chelodina longicollis) The length of the thin neck is almost the same as the shell.

Chelydridae   (snapping turtles). The family includes only 2 species, of which the most prominent snapping turtle ( Chelydra serpentina). It is an aquatic reptile that inhabits most of North America and northwestern South, abundant in southeastern Canada and the eastern half of the United States, where it is highly regarded as a food product. Cayman turtles are unjustly accused of the destruction of large numbers of fish and waterfowl. The mass of these animals often reaches 13.6 kg. Pulled out of water, they can bite painfully.

Another species, the headless tortoise ( Macrochelys temmincki) ?? one of the giants of the order, reaching a mass of approx. 90 kg. It is not only the heaviest among its freshwater representatives, but also the most water-tied among North American turtles. They are found in the southeastern United States, mainly in the lower Mississippi. Being slow, the neck turtle lures the prey with the help of the fleshy outgrowth of the floor of the mouth, which moves in its open mouth like a worm.

Kinosternidae   (silt turtles). Turtles of this family, including 21 species, usually live on the bottom of rivers and lakes. The range of the group stretches from the south-east of Canada through the center and the eastern part of the United States to South America. Eight species of sludge turtles occurring in the USA have small fleshy “tendrils” on their chins, which help to distinguish them from other members of the squad.

The most famous member of the family ?? common musk turtle ( Sternotherus odoratus) distributed in the waters of the east of the United States. Its length does not exceed 13 cm, but it strongly annoys local fishermen, as it often gets hooked, and when it is taken in hand, it secretes a smelly secret of musk glands. In addition, she is warlike and painfully bites.

Trailing turtles (genus Kinosternon) dwell almost exclusively in the southeastern United States. They avoid deep water and occasionally go to land. Area of ​​the Pennsylvanian tortoise ( Kinosternon subrubrum) stretches from the southeast of the country along the Atlantic coast to the southwestern tip of Connecticut.

Testudinidae   (tortoises). This family combines approx. 40 species of turtles found on all continents except Australia. This includes the relatively small-sized Mediterranean tortoise ( Testudo graeca), and the giant ivory turtle ( Geochelone elephantopus) from the Galapagos Islands, and some fancy African species. So, in African turtles cynix (genus Kinixys) the back of the carapax is movably connected to the front, elastic turtle ( Malacochersus tornieri) from Tanzania and Kenya has a soft, flattened shell of thin bony plates and can perish into narrow crevices of rock in a moment of danger. The only members of this family found in the USA belong to the genus gopher ( Gopherus); they inhabit the southern part of the country.

In the 19th century Galapagos elephant turtles were taken on whaling ships as stocks of meat for sailors. Capturing millions of individuals so undermined the population that it was threatened with extinction.

Emydidae   (freshwater turtles). This is the largest family unit, uniting more than a third of all its species. They are common in the northern continents, are also found in the north of South America and Africa, and are very diverse in size and body shape.

Painted Turtle ( Chrysemys picta), which is spread throughout the US, ?? one of the most famous members of the family. Often it reaches high numbers even in small ponds. Box turtles ( Terrapene) ?? it is also a widespread genus, but it does not occur in the western United States. These are mostly land animals; movable elements of the plastron give them the ability to tightly, like shutters, close all the openings of the shell. Decorated turtles ( Pseudemys) inhabit the southeastern United States.

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> What are turtles?

What are turtles?

On our planet live sea, river and land turtles. Total turtles 230 species. They differ in body structure, size and color. River and land turtles are much smaller in size than their marine relatives. Most in the world of land and river turtles. Sea turtles are much smaller. All turtles breed by laying eggs, while they bury them in the sand, or in a pile of rotten plants, so that the young are warm. In addition, it is a kind of precautionary measure that saves the nests from ruin by predators.

Turtles ?? beings thermophilic. Therefore, in the Arctic and Antarctic, they can not be found. But in the tropics and subtropics, they are found quite often. They are not found in some very hot deserts, on the Pacific coast of South America, and also in New Zealand. Land turtles live in almost all corners of our planet. Even in our country, they are found. There are in Russia and river turtles. On the shores of the seas in our country settled and widespread sea turtles. They can be found on the seas of the Pacific Ocean.

Almost all turtles are omnivores. They can eat both vegetable food and animal feed. Some species of turtles extract their food only under water. There they hunt various mollusks, fish and insects. These turtles can eat and different algae. After a good dinner, turtles can not eat for several months, and sometimes even for several years. This contributes to the device of the body of these amazing animals. Interestingly, turtles do not have teeth, so they grind food with sharp jaws.

Female turtles lay their eggs in the soil, for example, in sand or hide them in a pile of rotten plants. The number of eggs can be very different: from a few pieces to hundreds. Little turtles hatch from eggs and rush to the water, where they can hide from enemies. However, on the way to such a shelter, they risk being eaten. Indeed, on the shores of the seas and other reservoirs a large number of different predators live: birds, crabs, etc. They all want to eat delicious meat of little turtles. However, the water turtles are not safe. After all, here they can eat. It is easier for them to survive in the aquatic environment, and their speed in the water is faster than on land.

Turtle shell ?? real portable home. The fact is that a turtle ?? it is a very slow and clumsy creation. Any predator could catch and eat it. A shell helps to avoid this. An animal can hide its head, legs and tail in it. It will be difficult for a predator to get a tortoise from its shell, and it will leave with nothing. The shell consists of very strong horn shields, so it is extremely difficult to gnaw it. There are special holes for the head, legs and tail in the shell, so the turtle can hide it in limbs pretty quickly.

The turtle shell consists of two shields: the dorsal, covered with horny shields, and the ventral. They are interconnected. There are holes in the tortoise shell for the legs, tail and head, so when an animal sees that it is in danger, it hides in its house. In some turtles, the shell is covered with soft leather and very durable. If any predator tries to gnaw it, it will not succeed. The tortoise shell can save her life many times, so the expression “My home ?? my castle".

The biggest turtle in the world ?? leathery. Its maximum weight reaches 900 kilograms. Average individuals weigh from 300 to 500 kilograms. The body length of these huge animals ranges from 135 to 210 centimeters. Leatherback turtles ?? This is the only species of the defenseless family that has been preserved for a long time. The structure of the body of this turtle is much different from other types of turtles, because leathery and other types of turtles followed a different path of evolution.

The smallest turtle in the world ?? musky She lives in the United States and Canada, mainly in water. Its weight is only slightly more than 200 grams, and the length of this tiny animal is 7.6 centimeters. This musk turtle got its name due to its smell. On top of that, it is also omnivorous: it feeds on aquatic vegetation, as well as small fish, various insects and mollusks, and even carrion. In search of food, a turtle crawls along the bottom of a river or lake.

The longest living turtle ?? This is a turtle-marion, one of the turtles of this species lived for 152 years. Scientists believe that if she creates good living conditions, then she can live up to 200-300 years. Such conditions can be created in the zoo, where the tortoise will be looked after, fed, treated in case of illness. And in the wild, the turtle risks being eaten.