Turtle

Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Class: Ordo: Chordata Reptilia Testudines (=Chelonii)
Linnaeus, 1758

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs and acting as a shield. Like other amniotes (reptiles, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals), they breathe air and do not lay eggs underwater, although many species live in or around water. The largest turtles are aquatic. Although many turtles spend large amounts of their lives underwater, all turtles and tortoises breathe air, and must surface at regular intervals to refill their lungs. They can also spend much of their lives on dry land. Aquatic respiration in Australian freshwater turtles is currently being studied. Some species have large cloacal cavities that are lined with many finger-like projections. These projections, called papillae, have a rich blood supply, and increase the surface area of the cloaca. The turtles can take up dissolved oxygen from the water using these papillae, in much the same way that fish use gills to respire. The eggs of the largest species are spherical, while the eggs of the rest are elongated. In some species, temperature determines whether an egg develops into a male or a female: a higher temperature causes a female, a lower temperature causes a male. Large numbers of eggs are deposited in holes dug into mud or sand. They are then covered and left to incubate by themselves. When the turtles hatch, they squirm their way to the surface and head toward the water. There are no known species in which the mother cares for the young.

Marine Turtle
Scientific classification Kingdom: Phylum: Class: Ordo: Animalia Chordata Reptilia Testudines (=Chelonii) Cryptodira Polycryptodira

Suborder: Clade:

Superfamily: Chelonioidea
Bauer, 1893[1]

Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea) or marine turtles are turtles that inhabit all of the world's oceans except the Arctic. Sea turtles, along with other turtles and tortoises, are part of the order Testudines. The species are primarily distinguished by their anatomy: for instance, the prefrontal scales on the head, the number of and shape of scutes on the carapace, and the type of inframarginal scutes on the plastron. The leatherback is the only sea turtle that does not have a hard shell; instead, it bears a mosaic of bony plates beneath its leathery skin. It is the largest sea turtle, measuring 6 to 7 feet (1.8 to 2.1 m) in length at maturity, and 3 to 5 feet (0.91 to 1.5 m) in width, weighing up to 1,300 pounds (590 kg). Sea turtles are generally found in the waters over continental shelves. Green sea turtles in particular are often found in Sargassum beds, a brown seaweed in which they find shelter and food. Although all sea turtles breathe air, under dire circumstances they may divert to anaerobic metabolism for long periods of time. When surfacing to breathe, a sea turtle can quickly refill its lungs with a single explosive exhalation and rapid inhalation. Their large lungs have adapted to permit rapid exchange of oxygen and to avoid trapping gases during deep dives.