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Facts About Turtles

© Barbara Lombardi

Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years. They evolved before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards.

Here are some interesting facts about turtles.

• The earliest turtles had teeth and could not retract their heads.
• Several species of turtles can live to be over 100 years of age, including the American Box Turtle. One Indian Ocean Giant Tortoise that was captured as an adult, estimated to be 50 years old, then lived another 152 years in captivity.
• Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica. While most turtles don't tolerate the cold well, the Blanding's Turtle has been observed swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region.
• Turtles range in size from the 4-inch Bog Turtle to the 1500 pound Leathery Turtle. 

Turtle Shell Anatomy

The top, domed part of a turtle's shell is called the carapace, and the bottom underlying part is called the plastron. The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different connected bones. The bony portion of the shell is covered with plates (scutes) that are derivatives of skin and offer additional strength and protection.

Most land tortoises have high domed carapaces that offer protection from the snapping jaws of terrestrial predators. Aquatic turtles tend to have flatter, more aerodynamic shells.

An exception to the dome-shaped tortoise shell is the Pancake Tortoise of East Africa that will wedge itself between narrow rocks when threatened and then inflate itself with air making extraction nearly impossible.

More Turtle Anatomy Facts

Most turtle species have 5 toes on each limb with a few exceptions, including the American Box Turtle of the Carolina species that only has 4 toes, and in some cases, only 3.

Turtles have good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. Hearing and sense of touch are both good, and even the shell contains nerve endings.

Some aquatic turtles can absorb oxygen through their skin on their neck and cloacal areas, allowing them to remain submerged underwater for extended periods of time and enabling them to hibernate underwater.

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