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Turtle, any reptile with a body encased in a bony shell, including tortoises. The turtle shell has a top (carapace) and a bottom (plastron). The carapace and plastron are bony structures that usually join one another along each side of the body, creating a rigid skeletal box.
Turtle - Adaptations, Habitats, Lifespan: Turtles have adapted to a remarkable variety of environments, but the greatest number of species occurs in southeastern North America and South Asia. They are not social animals. Several species may inhabit the same river or lake, but each has different foods, feeding habits, and likely different ...
A turtle is a reptile that has a shell covering its body. Turtles are known for moving very slowly. There are more than 350 species, or types, of turtle. Turtles are found in…
turtle, Any of approximately 300 species (order Testudines) of reptiles that have a bony shell overlaid with horny shields and are found in most parts of the world. Turtles have existed for 200 million years, making them the oldest of all surviving reptiles. Most species are aquatic or semiaquatic; some are terrestrial. Turtles eat plants ...
sea turtle, any of seven species of marine turtles belonging to the families Dermochelyidae (leatherback sea turtles) and Cheloniidae (green turtles, flatback sea turtles, loggerhead sea turtles, hawksbills, and ridleys).
Turtle - Reptile, Classification, Adaptations: The title of the turtle order was formerly Testudinata, although the term Chelonia was also regularly used. Order Testudines comprises two suborders, Cryptodira with 263 species in 11 families and Pleurodira with 93 species in 3 families.
Turtle - Evolution, Adaptation, Conservation: The earliest turtles known date to the Late Permian Epoch. Many of the oldest and most primitive forms lacked a shell, plastron, and a carapace. The oldest sea turtle is known from the mid-Cretaceous. Although Odontochelys, Proganochelys, and Eunotosaurus offer insight into early anatomy ...
Is it just a fancy way to say “turtle”? Well, actually, there’s a meaningful difference between tortoises and other turtles. All tortoises are in fact turtles—that is, they belong to the order Testudines or Chelonia, reptiles having bodies encased in a bony shell—but not all turtles are tortoises.
Turtle shells are made of bone and cartilage, but it is the form and function of the shells that make them unique in the animal kingdom. The top part of the shell is called the carapace while the underside is known as the plastron.
A tortoise is any member of the turtle family Testudinidae that is easily recognized by its unique hind-limb anatomy made up of elephantine (or cylindrical) hind limbs and hind feet, and high-domed shell.