That's Not My Turtle...

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The beauty of finding your ‘tribe’: Historical Novel Society of Australia conference October 30, 2023 These magnificent creatures come in all shapes and sizes and live in a number of different environments. They all belong to a group of reptiles called Testudines, which includes turtles, tortoises and terrapins. This really helped me learn about turtles and gave me loads of interesting facts! Thanks National Geographic If none of the above features apply, then you’re looking at a loggerhead or Kemp’s ridley sea turtle. If you’re still having a hard time, try this sea turtle identification key from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration biologists. Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Turtles are ‘ amniotes’ – they breathe air and lay their eggs on land, although many species live in or around water. Most North American turtles are considered freshwater aquatic turtles. This group includes many prevalent species, such as: Did you know that a turtle wouldn’t survive without its shell?! A turtle’s shell is imperative for its survival and identification. Scute– A scute is a bony plate on a turtle’s shell. Most turtles’ shells are divided into visible sections. Each segment is a scute.

Most freshwater turtles have feet with toes and claws. Sometimes, their toes are webbed to help them swim. Generally, 12 hours of daylight will keep Chelonians active, but decreasing hours of daylight can stimulate a hibernation response. If there are two pairs of scales between the eyes and the nose, it is likely a hawksbill sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata). As its name suggests, hawksbill sea turtles have a sharply pronounced beak (mouth). One Pair of Scales in Front of Eyes Some Chelonians will have less of an appetite during the spring breeding season, this is natural and nothing to worry about if they are otherwise healthy. Likewise, gravid females often stop eating completely until laying. The role of hydration in tortoise appetite

These cold-blooded creatures have an incredibly long life span. The oldest ever recorded, named Tu”i Malila, of Tonga Island, passed away at the grand old age of 188! Along with the tactile features, the repetition of the format in the series, and within each book, allows little ones to anticipate and participate in the story. Hinged– Attached or joined with a movable mechanism. Turtles with hinged shells can partially or entirely seal their carapace and plastron together. They hide their fleshy body parts inside. Snapping turtles have unique T-shaped or cross-shaped plastrons. Their plastron is small and doesn’t cover the turtle’s entire underside. There are two snapping turtle species in the United States:

Turtles have existed since the Middle Jurassic period. They’ve been around longer than snakes and even crocodilians! I have 2 small red eared sliders. I have had them over a year and they have always been good eaters. In September they stopped eating. They haven’t eaten in 4 months. They are strong, they bask, they are indoors in a 30 gallon aquarium.

Most North American freshwater turtles have a smooth carapace. Besides alligator snapping turtles, map turtles and musk turtles also have keeled shells.The easiest way to tell adult cooters and sliders apart from other aquatic turtles is their size. They’re the only North American pond turtles that can reach shell lengths over 12”. Mud Turtles (genus Kinosternon) This Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon Baurii) tries to hide, but its scutes can still be counted. I recommend a water temperature of 80-90°F (27-32°C), and depth of one third of their carapace height for around 10 minutes. Use a thermometer and change the water if it cools down too much. Regency adventures: ‘The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered ladies’ by Alison Goodman October 23, 2023

Once you know what type of turtle it is, you have much of the information you need to help it to safety or provide appropriate accommodations. Freshwater Aquatic Turtles Freshwater aquatic turtles live in rivers, lakes, and ponds. Most of them frequently bask on the water’s edge or a floating log. The easiest way to differentiate the three turtle types is to look at their feet! Webbed Feet = Freshwater Turtle This is a good example of the webbed feet of a freshwater turtle. You can see how they are distinct from many other animals. Something that always makes me cringe is when I see a tiny baby turtle being kept in a huge tank, with 2 ft (60 cm) deep water. If your turtle has fleshy, webbed feet with sharp claws, it’s likely a freshwater aquatic turtle. Proceed to “Identifying a Freshwater Aquatic Turtle” if you’d like to learn more about the specific species. Flippers = Sea Turtle This sea turtle swimming in the Maldives can be enjoyed in detail, especially its distinct flippers.The red-footed tortoise is, arguably, the most prevalent pet tortoise. These tortoises grow up to 16 inches long. Wood turtles ( Glyptemys insculpta) and bog turtles ( Glyptemys muhlenbergii) are two related turtle species with circular ridges on their scutes. Range: Mojave and Sonoran deserts of the southwestern United States. East of the Colorado River. Texas Tortoise ( Gopherus berlandieri) The United States is also home to another terrestrial testudine: the box turtle. Box turtles share many physical characteristics with tortoises. These adaptations help them both thrive outside of the water. Despite their similarities, box turtles are genetically more closely related to aquatic freshwater turtles than tortoises. In other cases, your pet may be refusing to eat because it isn’t happy with its husbandry– temperature being the most common issue.