Turtles and Tortoises
Herpetoculture
Pensacola
Jr College
Class Reptilia
w Dry,
horny scales
w Shed
outer layer of skin periodically (except some terrestrial turtles)
w Middle
ear, stapes, may have outer ear opening
w Single
occipital condyle
w Teeth
grow continuously (if present)
Class Reptilia (cont’d)
w Usually
3 chambered heart (except crocodylians)
w Internal
fertilization
•
Copulatory
organ in males, except in tuatara (cloacal kiss)
w Amnion
surrounds embryo
w Soft-shelled
leathery eggs (or ovoviviparous/viviparous)
Reptile Heart
Reptile Brain
Turtles & Tortoises
-- Classification
w
Phylum Chordata
w
Subphylum Vertebrata
w
Superclass
Tetrapoda
w Class Reptilia
w Order Chelonia
Order Chelonia
w Physical
characteristics:
•
Shell: Carapace = upper,
Plastron = lower
•
Bony bridge joins plastron to
carapace (some hinged for kinesis)
•
Scutes
(large epidermal scales) cover outer surface
•
Ribs/vertebrae fused to inner
carapace surface
Carapace
Plastron
Turtle Shells
Order Chelonia (cont’d)
w Physical
characteristics:
•
Breathing due to pressure
changes in lungs caused by limb movements
•
Some respiration through
skin, buccal cavity, cloacal
bursae
•
No teeth
•
Horny beak (continuous
growth)
Order Chelonia (cont’d)
w Physical
characteristics:
•
Yearly growth cycles show as
yearly depressions in scutes
•
Under 1 pound – 1500 pounds
w Aquatic,
semi-aquatic, or terrestrial
w Carnivorous,
omnivorous, or herbivorous
Order Chelonia (cont’d)
w All
lay eggs on land in nests
w Internal
fertilization
w Single
penis in male
w No
parental care
w Often
loosely social
Turtle male structures
Turtle Skeleton
Turtle Muscular System
Turtle Digestive System
Turtle Respiratory System
Turtle Reproductive Systems
Classification
w Class
Reptilia
w Order Chelonia
•
Family Chelidae
•
Family Chelydridae
•
Family Cheloniidae
•
Family Emydidae
•
Family Trionychidae
•
Family Testudinidae
Family Chelidae =
side-necked turtles (including matamata),
37 species
Family Chelidae
w Range:
S America, Australia, New Guinea
w Characteristics:
•
Retracts head under lip of
shell by bending neck to the side
•
Intergular
(extra) scute on plastron
w Aquatic
or semiaquatic
Family Chelidae (cont’d)
w Feeding:
carnivorous or omnivorous
w Egg
# = 1 – 25
w Egg
structure = usually inflexible and brittle
w Egg
shape = varies
Matamata
(head)
Matamata
Twist-neck turtle
Hilaire's
side-necked turtle
Maximilian's snake-necked turtle
Pantanal
big-headed turtle
Family Chelydridae = snapping
turtles,
2 species
Family Chelydridae
w Range:
N and C America
w Characteristics:
•
Retracts head into shell by
bending neck into vertical S-shaped curve (hidden-necked)
•
Large head with thick hooked
beak and jaw
•
Weak plastron with ligament
connection to carapace
Family Chelydridae (cont’d)
w Characteristics:
•
Only group that can fully
retract head with jaws wide open
•
Long tail
w Freshwater
aquatic
w Feeding:
plants, anything that moves, carrion
Family Chelydridae (cont’d)
w Egg
# = 20 – 40
w Egg
structure = flexible
w Egg
shape = spherical
Common snapping turtle
Allligator
Snapping Turtle
Family Cheloniidae = sea turtles
(Ridley, Green, Hawksbill, Loggerhead),
6 species
Family Cheloniidae
w Range:
tropical to temperate oceans worldwide
w Characteristics:
•
Cannot retract head into
shell
•
Streamlined low shell with scutes
•
Flipper-shaped limbs
•
Up to 1000 pounds
Family Cheloniidae (cont’d)
w Saltwater
aquatic
w Feeding:
carnivorous (fish, jellyfish, sponges, crustaceans, etc) except herbivorous
Green turtle adults (kelp feeders)
w Mass
female migrations to nest areas every 1-3 years
Family Cheloniidae (cont’d)
w Egg
# = 80 – 200 per clutch (up to 11 clutches in Greens)
w Egg
structure = flexible
w Egg
shape = spherical
Hawksbill
Green Sea Turtle
Loggerhead
Olive Ridley
Kemp’s Ridley
Flatback
Different family -- Leatherback
Family Emydidae =
pond and river turtles (terrapins, map, wood, box turtles, sliders, etc), Together
with Eurasian terrapins make up the largest group (>100 sp)
Family Emydidae
w Range:
most Genera in N America only, but some emydids on
each continent except Australia
w Characteristics:
•
Hidden-necked turtles
•
Feet usually have webbing
between toes and claws
Family Emydidae (cont’d)
w Freshwater
aquatic, semi-aquatic, or terrestrial
w Feeding:
omnivores (varied diet)
w Egg
# = 1-30
w Egg
structure = flexible (temperate) or brittle (tropics)
w Egg
shape = elongated
Pacific pond turtle
American red-bellied turtle
Florida red-bellied turtle
Black wood turtles
Wood turtle hatching
Common box turtle
Eastern box turtle
Common map turtle
Common musk turtle
Eastern painted turtle
Florida Cooter
Red-eared slider
Spotted turtle hatchling
Northern diamond-backed terrapin
Family Trionychidae = softshell and flapshell
turtles,
22 species
Family Trionychidae
w Range:
N America, Africa, Asia
w Characteristics:
•
Hidden-necked turtles
•
Elongated neck and snout
•
Flat shell with leathery covering
instead of scutes
•
Reduced plastron
Family Trionychidae (cont’d)
w Characteristics:
•
Ligaments instead of bridge
•
Highly webbed feet ŕ
paddles
•
3 claws per foot
w Freshwater
aquatic
w Feeding:
usually carnivores (fish, crustaceans, insects)
Family Trionychidae (cont’d)
w Egg
# = 4 – 100
w Egg
structure = brittle
w Egg
shape = spherical
Florida softshell
Spiny softshell
Eastern Spiny Softshell
Nile softshell
Chinese softshell
Indian flapshelled turtle
Family Testudinidae = tortoises,
41 species
Family Testudinidae
w Range:
usually tropics & subtropics of each continent except Australia (many on
islands)
w Characteristics:
•
Largest non-oceanic turtles
(up to 600 pounds)
•
Hidden-necked turtles
Family Testudinidae (cont’d)
w Characteristics:
•
Thick domed shells
•
Very distinct scutes
•
Thick legs and feet
•
Stubby unwebbed
toes
w Terrestrial
w Feeding:
generally herbivorous
Family Testudinidae (cont’d)
w Egg
# = 1 – 50
w Egg
structure = varies
w Egg
shape = varies
Aldabra Tortoise
Galapagos tortoises
Galapagos tortoise
African Spurred Tortoises
Desert tortoise
Gopher tortoise
Leopard tortoise
Saddlebacked
giant tortoise
Indian star tortoise
Tortoise eggs hatching
Turtle Conservation
Examples
w Turtle Survival Alliance
w Western
Pond Turtles