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
Different family
-- Leatherback
Family Emydidae =
pond and river turtles (terrapins, map, wood, box turtles, sliders, etc), 85
species (largest group)
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 à 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