Turtles' Page

History
Turtles are cold-blooded vertebrates, they have a bony skeleton covering their body, and a heart that has two auricles and one ventricle.

Reptile fossils have been found back to about 340 million years ago, and some terrestrial vertebrates inhabiting the earth (sort-of like turtles-tortoises) have been found about 160 million years ago.

A few turtles and tortoises have limbs that enable them to walk on land, they also have modified limbs that allow them to swim. Some turtles and tortoises spend most of their time in water; their limbs are primatily adapted for swimming, and they move about land with creeping and crawling motions.

Turtles and tortoises are oriparous, meaning they lay eggs that hatch after leaving the body of the female.

Description - Families

• The Family Chelidae consists of the long, side-necked turtles of South America, Australia, and New Guinea. It has nine genus groups and thirty-seven species.
• The Family Pelomedusidae consists of side-ncked turtles found in tropical South America and Africa. It has five genus and twenty-four species.
• The Family Kinosternidae is made up of just the mud and the musk turtles. *We have a mud turtle.* Both live in North America, Mexico, and Central America.
• The Family Chelydridae consists of two genus roups and two species... the commmon snapping turtle, and the alligator snapping turtle.
• The Family Platysternidae consists of one genus group and one species, the big-headed turtle. It lives in streams in China, Thailand, and Burma.
• The Family Emydidae contains about thirty genus groups and eighty-five species. *It is the largest family in the Testudine/Chelonia order.*They are commonly called pond and river turtles, and are found in parts of North America, Central America, South America, Europe, North Africa, and Asia. *We have an eastern painted turtle, it's in this family.* Some of the examples of the species are the red-eared turtle, the european pond turtle, box turtles, map turtles, terapins, and softshelled turtles.
• The Family Testudinidae consists of ten genus groups and forty-one different species, all of which are tortoises. All live on land.
• The Families Dermochelyidae and Cheloniidae are all sea turtles. The Dermochelyidae has one species (the leathery turtle or leatherback sea turtle), and the Cheloniidae consists of four species of hard-shelled sea turtles.

Sexing
Males have a slight concaved plastron (the bottom shell); also the males tail becomes longer and thicker then a females.

Handling
Turtles are usually easy to handle; just pick them up by the shell with the fingers and thumb, and then place them into the hand. Larger turtles may require both hands.

Beware of turtles in the wild, snapping turtles, and long- or side-necked turtles, for they might bite you.

Feeding
Aquatic turtles are primarily carnivorous or omnivorous, and will eat pieces of meat, liver, dog or cat food, too.

Land turtles are primarily herbivorous, and like grasses and plants, canned dog-cat food, fruits and vegetables.

You can find turtle food at some pet shops too.

Health
Like snakes, turtles don't really have health problems.

You should make-sure you wash your hands after handling them for they may be carring salmonella.

Turtle Links:

Kindosternidae -- Turtle stuff.
Angelfire--The easiest free home pages.
Water Turtle Care Sheet-- alot of stuff other then just care.

Special Thanks To/ Resources: Small Animal Care & Management by Dean M. Warren.