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| Information About Sea Turtles: Species of the World |
Species of turtles
Turtles belong to the oldest order of animals - reptiles (reptiles). Obviously, nature has created a very practical form. Turtles have existed for many thousands of years, changing little, and now they look almost the same as in those days when they roamed in abundance among dinosaurs. But over the past century, the abundance of some species has reached a critical point.
Thousands of sea turtles were processed into turtle soup, and the turtles of the Galapagos archipelago, which mariners took with them as “canned food”, were almost completely destroyed, because turtles are very hardy and can go without food and water for a long time. Recalling itself, humanity began to protect turtles, and some of them were listed in the International Red Book.
The order of turtles includes many species, and they can be found in salt and fresh water, in forests, on the high seas and even on dry land, closer to deserts. In sea turtles, due to the constant life in the water, the legs turned into flippers.
Freshwater turtles have a flattened streamlined shell, legs with long sharp claws to tear prey, and between the fingers they formed membranes. Land turtles are usually of powerful physique, their thick legs have short blunt claws. Some aquatic turtles re-entered life on land, but do not break the connection with water.
Freshwater turtles have a flattened streamlined shell, legs with long sharp claws to tear prey, and between the fingers they formed membranes. Land turtles are usually of powerful physique, their thick legs have short blunt claws. Some aquatic turtles re-entered life on land, but do not break the connection with water.
The most characteristic feature of all turtles is the bony shell, or, more precisely, the carapace on top and the plastron below the body. In order for the carapace to grow, it is divided into 20-30 individual plates, which grow independently of each other. They are connected to the ribs, vertebrae of the spine, the hip and shoulder girdles. Outside, the bone plates are covered with horn material - keratin.
Turtles are the so-called cold-blooded animals. This means that their body temperature depends on the ambient temperature, differing from it by only a few degrees. In the warm season, when there is food, turtles lead an active lifestyle.
But in winter they have to fall into suspended animation, i.e. processes in their body are reduced to a minimum. Turtles winter in burrows, underground, and freshwater ones - buried in silt at the bottom of reservoirs. Small Central Asian turtles sometimes dig holes deeper than a meter. Saying that turtles hibernate in the winter, we are mistaken. Only warm-blooded animals sleep in winter, but not reptiles.
But in winter they have to fall into suspended animation, i.e. processes in their body are reduced to a minimum. Turtles winter in burrows, underground, and freshwater ones - buried in silt at the bottom of reservoirs. Small Central Asian turtles sometimes dig holes deeper than a meter. Saying that turtles hibernate in the winter, we are mistaken. Only warm-blooded animals sleep in winter, but not reptiles.
Turtles have good sharp vision (at least at close range), they perceive almost the entire spectrum of colors (including the one that we see, and even more). They respond well to bright colors - white, red, yellow. But they do not pay any attention to the blue, blue and purple tones.
The sense of smell plays a large role in turtles, with the help of it turtles not only find food, but also communicate with relatives, and even orient themselves on the territory. The turtles also have excellent hearing, some of them (especially aquatic) have almost the same hearing as cats. There were stories that sea turtles came out of the water for a long mournful singing. This is probably true. Turtles respond well to voice intonation: if you talk to the turtle gently, it will stretch its neck and listen, and vice versa, if scolded, it will hide in a shell. Who knows,
The sense of smell plays a large role in turtles, with the help of it turtles not only find food, but also communicate with relatives, and even orient themselves on the territory. The turtles also have excellent hearing, some of them (especially aquatic) have almost the same hearing as cats. There were stories that sea turtles came out of the water for a long mournful singing. This is probably true. Turtles respond well to voice intonation: if you talk to the turtle gently, it will stretch its neck and listen, and vice versa, if scolded, it will hide in a shell. Who knows,
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