Order Testudines (Chelonia) Flashcards
What habitat do turtles, tortoises, and terrapins live in?
Turtles - aquatic
Tortoises - Terrestrial
Terrapins - brackish water
Parts of the shell?
dorsal carapace and ventral plastron
What are the 2 layers of the turtle shell?
outer layer of keratin and inner layer of bone
The bone layer is…
a fusion of ribs and vertebrae
Do turtles have teeth
lack teeth but have keratinized plates for gripping food
The rigid shell doesn’t allow for
rigid shell doesn’t allow for chest expansion during breathing
Movement of limbs help with?
movement of limbs during walking help ventilate the lungs
What are turtle senses like?
-good sense of smell
-vision and color same as humans
-poor sound perception
-vocalization limited to mating
What is the turtle reproduction, fertilization?
What do turtles do to their eggs?
-oviparous
-internal fertilization
-all turtles bury their eggs
What do the nest temperature do?
Nest temperature determines sex of hatchlings
-low temp = male
-high temp = female
Giant Marine turtles and tortoise have long life expectancy because?
low metabolic rates
What is the largest turtle?
Leatherbacks
Box turtles have?
hinged plastron for defense
Snapping turtles have?
reduce shell and powerful jaws for defense
The Alligator snapper has?
-worm-like tongue to attract prey
