Tortoises Species

Tortoises Adult

The tortoise and turtle are scaly animals belonged to four-legged reptiles. Nation animals called (order) Testudinata (or Chelonians) is typical and easily recognizable by the 'home' or shell (Bony shell) the hard and rigid.

Tortoise shell consists of two parts. The upper part that covers the back called the carapace (carapace) and bottom (ventral, stomach) is called Plastron. Then each part is composed of two layers. Outer layers of the scales are generally in the form of large and hard, and are arranged like roof tiles, while the inner layer of bone plates such as the compact shell. The exception contained in the group of turtles-turtles (Trionychoidea) and leatherback turtles, the outer layers of dead skin scaly and was replaced on the outer layer of shell bones.

In the Indonesian language, we recognize three groups of animals that includes the nation, negates turtle (English: sea turtles), turtles, turtles or bald (freshwater turtles), and turtles (tortoises). In English, distinguished between tortoises (land tortoises) and freshwater turtles (freshwater tortoises or terrapins).

Tortoises live in various places, from desert areas, grasslands, forests, swamps, rivers and sea. Some species live entirely aquatic, both freshwater and in the sea. Turtle there that are plant-eaters (herbivores), meat eaters (carnivores) or mixed (omnivores).

Tortoises Baby

Turtles have no teeth. But the bones in the snout pavement tortoise could cut anything into his food.

Tortoise body size varies, there is a big small. Usually indicated by carapace length (CL, carapace length). The tortoise is the largest leatherback turtle, which can reach carapace length 300 cm. Labi-largest turtles are turtles-turtles Irian, with carapace length about 51 inches. While the giant tortoise of Kep. Galapagos and Kep. Seychelles length may exceed 50 inches. While the smallest is a mini turtle from South Africa, the carapace length not exceeding 8 cm.

The tortoise breeding with spawn (ovipar). A number of some items (on tortoises) to more than one hundred eggs (in some species of sea turtles) are placed every time laying eggs, usually in the sand pit by the river or the sea, then dumped and left to hatch with the help of the sun's heat. Turtle eggs hatch about two months (50-70 days) are stored in the sand.

Child sex turtles that would birth one of which is determined by the temperature of the sand where the eggs are stored. In most kinds of turtles, the temperature is above average will generate female animals habits. And conversely, the temperature below the average tend to produce many male animals.

The turtles is one type of long-lived animals. These reptiles can live for decades, even a tortoise from Kep. Seychelles recorded live for 152 years (1766-1918).