TURTLESTORTOISES Dwell in the water Mostly flat shells Relatively light shells Omnivores Life span of 20-60 years Oldest was 86 years Tortoises.

TURTLES!!!

TURTLE VS. TORTOISE

TURTLES TORTOISES

Dwell in the water Mostly flat shells Relatively light shells Omnivores Life span of 20-60 years Oldest was 86 years

Tortoises dwell on the land

Mostly dome shamed shells

Very heavy shells Herbivores Life span of 80-150

years Oldest was 326 years

TURTLES TORTOISES

CALL OF THE WILDMAN

Turtle man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE1ii2NNMc0

TURTLES ARE REPTILES

Characteristics Breathe through lungs

Can hold breath up to 3 hours Cold blooded Dry skin with scales Two pairs of legs (except snakes) Three chambered heart (except crocs and

allis.) Internal fertilization External development (eggs)

SPECIES

There are 8 species of turtles out there!

Kemp Ridley

Hawksbill

8 SPECIESGreen

Leatherbacks

Flatback

8 SPECIES

loggerhead

Pacific black

Olive Ridley

DIET

Most species are omnivores Hawksbill eats only sponges Leatherbacks eat only jellyfish

They do not have teeth, just a large beak. Most common items they eat are crabs, sea

grass, jellyfish, seaweed, etc.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

ANATOMY The turtle shell is made out of two

parts Carapace (top) Plastron (bottom) The shell is made up of many, many

bones!

MALE OR FEMALE??

Flip your turtle over… If the shell is convex (pokes out), it is a

female. If the shell is concave (pokes in), it’s a

male.

ANATOMY

Turtles heart can continue to beat outside of their body!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmhBEeEMqYo

REPRODUCTION Male or female?

Another way to tell Male turtles have thicker and longer

tails Males also have the cloaca farther

away from their body.

REPRODUCTION

Surprisingly, the male turtles have a sexual organ just like mammals.

The organ protrudes through the cloaca when filled with a fluid.

Sometimes, the males use their organ as a sign of dominance while relaxing.

REPRODUCTION

The females have all the normal internal organs to reproduce.

The males mount the female from behind and insert his organ into her cloaca. Some females can store sperm in the

oviducts for months at a time The female is fertilized in the oviducts

just as any mammal.

EGGS

The female will lay eggs on a beach in the sand and will never return for her young. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndXJyvG0SIg

The gender of the turtle while developing is based on the temperature of the nest. Cooler temperatures favor the development of

males. It takes eggs about 7 to 10 weeks to hatch,

depending on temperature.

ENDANGERED?

Yes it’s very true!

Due to coastal development, harvesting of eggs, and climate change, boat traffic, and sea pollution our turtle population has significantly decreased.

THEE LIVING PLANET-OPEN OCEAN

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7WtduFycDY