What are the types of sea turtles?
The 5 sea turtles in Florida
- Green Sea Turtle. Think of the green sea turtle as the “standard” sea turtle, it’s probably what you picture when you think of sea turtles.
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle. Hawksbill sea turtles are distinguished by their beautiful shells, for which they were historically harvested.
- Leatherback Sea Turtle. ...
- Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle. ...
- Loggerhead Sea Turtle. ...
What are seven sea turtles species?
The Seven Species of Sea Turtles 1. Green Sea Turtle, Chelonia mydas. The Green Sea Turtle is given its name because of the green colour of fat... 2. Loggerhead Sea Turtle, Caretta caretta. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle is given its name because of its exceptionally... 3. Hawksbill Sea Turtle, ...
What is the classification of a loggerhead sea turtle?
Loggerhead sea turtles belong to the subphylum Vertebrata, which stems from the Latin root vertebra meaning a joint or backbone (Duermit, 2007; Guill, 1960). Characteristics of the subphylum vertebrata are that all the organisms have a vertebral column that is a main skeletal structure along the length of its body.
What are the adaptations of a sea turtle?
- Sea turtles are strong swimmers. ...
- Sea turtle bodies are hydrodynamic, meaning their bodies are shaped to minimize drag and resistance when traveling through water. ...
- Sea turtles have flippers, which act like big paddles or oars, enabling the turtles to move through the water more like fish rather than lumbering reptiles.
What is the kingdom of a turtle?
AnimalTurtles / KingdomAnimals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and ... Wikipedia
What order includes turtles and tortoises?
order TestudinesAll tortoises are in fact turtles—that is, they belong to the order Testudines or Chelonia, reptiles having bodies encased in a bony shell—but not all turtles are tortoises.
What is the order of a green sea turtle?
TurtlesTestudinataGreen sea turtle/Order
Do turtles have a hierarchy?
Sea turtles do not have a stable social structure and males do not represent any social hierarchy.
What family is a turtle?
Reptiles are a class of cold-blooded vertebrates - their body temperature varies with their environment. Reptiles include snakes, lizards, crocodiles, and turtles.
Is a turtle an amphibian?
Reptiles are turtles, snakes, lizards, alligators and crocodiles. Unlike amphibians, reptiles breathe only through their lungs and have dry, scaly skin that prevents them from drying out. Amphibians and reptiles are together called herpetofauna, or “herps” for short.
What is the domain of a turtle?
EukaryoteTurtles / DomainEukaryotes are organisms whose cells have a nucleus;. All animals, plants, fungi, and many unicellular organisms, are Eukaryotes. They belong to the group of organisms Eukaryota or Eukarya, which is one of the three domains of life; bacteria and archaea make up the other two domains. Wikipedia
What are sea turtles called?
Sea turtles (superfamily Chelonioidea), sometimes called marine turtles, are reptiles of the order Testudines and of the suborder Cryptodira. The seven existing species of sea turtles are the flatback, green, hawksbill, leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp's ridley, and olive ridley sea turtles.
Are all turtles sea turtles?
Green sea turtleLeatherback sea turtleLoggerhead sea turtleLeatherback turtlesModern sea turtlesProtostegaSea turtles/Lower classifications
Do turtles have balls?
The male reptiles, like all other vertebrates, have paired gonads that produce sperm and testosterone. Reptiles carry their testicles or testes internally, often in close proximity to the kidneys.
Can turtles hold sperm?
Among the vertebrates, turtles and snakes can store sperm for by far the longest periods.
What are 5 interesting facts about turtles?
10 Tremendous Turtle FactsSand temperature is very important.Hawksbill turtles use their beaks to help extract their favorite prey.One sea turtle species nests during the day.Leatherback sea turtles have existed in their current form since the age of the dinosaurs!More items...•
Which reptiles belong to the order Testudines?
All turtles are placed within the order Testudines (or Chelonia). Reptiles are traditionally classified according to the pattern of fenestration in the temporal region of the skull, and turtles are placed in the subclass Anapsida because they lack fenestration.
Which is the direct ancestor of turtle?
Twenty million years older than the oldest known fossil of a direct turtle ancestor, Eunotosaurus africanus has broadened ribs inside its body and elongated vertebrae in its spine compared with other reptiles, but those bones aren't fully fused to form an external shell as is the case in modern turtles.
Is a tortoise a reptile?
All turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are reptiles. Scientists often refer to them as chelonians, because they are in the taxonomic order called Chelonia (from the Greek word for tortoise).
What is the classification of a turtle and its characteristics?
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked turtles), which differ in the way the head retracts.
What are turtles?
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines that have bodies encased in bony shells. There are more than 350 species of turtles.
What are turtle shells made of?
A turtle’s shell is made of bone and cartilage. It consists of a top, which is called a carapace, and a bottom, which is called a plastron. The car...
Where do turtles live?
There are more than 350 species of turtles living on land—on all continents on Earth except Antarctica—and in both salt water and fresh water. The...
What do turtles eat?
Turtles eat a wide range of foods. Many turtles are omnivorous. Some turtles eat jellyfish and salps. Tortoises, which are a type of turtle, are pr...
How do turtle eggs hatch?
The hatching of a turtle consists of two separate events: exiting the egg and emerging from the nest. Hatchlings use a pointed keratinous bump, cal...
What’s the difference between a turtle and a tortoise?
All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Unlike turtles, tortoises are exclusively land creatures, and tortoises also have uni...
What is the name of the order of turtles?
The name "Chelonia", now a synonym for the order, is based on the Greek word for "turtle", χελώνη chelone; Greek χέλυς chelys "tortoise" is used in the formation of names of many turtle taxa. The name of the order, "Testudines", is based on the Latin word for tortoise, testudo.
What is a turtle?
Chelonia Ross and Macartney 1802. Turtles are reptiles of the order Chelonia / kɪˈloʊniə / or Testudines / tɛˈstjuːdɪniːz /. They are characterized by a bony or cartilaginous shell, developed from their ribs, that acts as a shield. Testudines include both extant (living) and extinct species.
How far do snapping turtles lay eggs?
The common snapping turtle walks 5 km (3.1 mi) on land to lay eggs, while sea turtles travel even further; the leatherback swims some 12,000 km (7,500 mi) to its nesting beaches. Most turtles prepare a nest for their eggs; females usually dig a flask-like chamber in the substrate.
What bones are in the carapace of a turtle?
The carapace is fused with the vertebrae and ribs while the plastron is formed from bones of the shoulder girdle, sternum, and dermal bones , gastralia. During development, the ribs grow sideways into the carapacial ridge, unique to turtles, entering the dermis of the back to support the carapace.
How do turtles lay eggs?
Turtles, including sea turtles, lay their eggs on land, although some lay eggs close to or in shallow water whose levels rise and fall. While most species build nests and lay eggs where they forage, some travel miles. The common snapping turtle walks 5 km (3.1 mi) on land to lay eggs, while sea turtles travel even further; the leatherback swims some 12,000 km (7,500 mi) to its nesting beaches. Most turtles prepare a nest for their eggs; females usually dig a flask-like chamber in the substrate. Other species lay their eggs in vegetation or crevices. Females choose nesting locations based on environmental factors such as temperature and humidity, which are important for developing embryos. The number of eggs laid varies from 10 to over 100 depending on the species. Larger females can lay eggs that are greater in number or bigger in size. Compared to freshwater turtles, tortoises deposit fewer but larger eggs. Females can lay multiple clutches throughout a season, particularly in species that experience unpredictable monsoons.
What is the shell of a turtle?
The shell of a turtle is unique among vertebrates and serves to protect the animal and provide shelter from the elements. It is primarily made of bone, and consists of two parts, the carapace which usually contains 50–60 bones and covers the back of the animal while the plastron has 7–11 bones and covers the belly. They are connected by lateral extensions of the plastron. The carapace is fused with the vertebrae and ribs while the plastron is formed from bones of the shoulder girdle, sternum, and dermal bones, gastralia. During development, the ribs grow sideways into the carapacial ridge, unique to turtles, entering the dermis of the back to support the carapace. The development is signaled locally by fibroblast growth factors including FGF10. The shoulder girdle in turtles is made up of two bones, the scapula and the procoracoid. Both the anterior and posterior pelvis of turtles are located within the shell and hence are effectively within the rib-cage; the trunk ribs grow over the shoulder girdle during development.
How fast can a sea turtle swim?
By contrast, sea turtles can swim at 30 km/h (19 mph). The limbs of turtles are adapted for various means of locomotion and habits and most have five toes. Tortoises are specialized for terrestrial environments and have column-like legs with elephant-like feet with short toes.
Who founded the Order of Turtles?
The late Captain Hugh P. McGowan, U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force Reserve (Ret.), he and several pilots of the U.S. Army Air Corps 8th Air Force founded the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles in an officers' club while stationed in England during the Second World War: "We were flying daytime bombing missions over Hitler's Third Reich. We just wanted a little fun. We had seen a sign showing that the 'Ancient Order of Foresters' and the 'Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffalos' would meet in the local pub, so I devised the name 'Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles' for the fun of it. It was not meant to be serious; it had no constitution or by-laws, and was a relief from the horrors and dangers we saw every day on our missions. It spread after the War through the VFW and American Legion posts, and eventually, to colleges and even to the high schools of the U.S.A."#N#Now, some Turtle history about an astronaut was asked the question, "Are you a Turtle?" by ground control, Wally Schirra who was asked:#N#"Just a minute, Wally. Let's see. Oh, it's a little message to Deke Slayton. A little bit closer Wally. Kind of looks like something about - 'Are you a, are you a --" Schirra acknowledged, "That's right." CAPCOM continued, "Looks like it says, 'Are you a turtle, Deke Slayton?"#N#Schirra confirmed, "That's right." Eisele added, "You get an A for reading today Jack." Swigert continued, "Here comes another one. Walt, oh, that-a-way, that's the way to turn it. It says, 'Paul Haney, are you a turtle?'" Cunningham radioed, "You'll get a gold star. Perfect score!" Swigert reported, "And there is no reply from Paul Haney there." Cunningham asked, "You mean he's speechless?"#N#A short while later, CAPCOM Cernan informed Schirra, "Wally, this is Gene. Deke just called in, and we've got your answer, and we've got it recorded for you return." Schirra acknowledged, "Roger. Real fine."#N#Shortly thereafter, Schirra asked CAPCOM Swigert, "Have you got Haney's answer yet?" Swigert replied, "No, Haney's isn't talking, Wally." Swigert then added, "Somebody tells me he isn't talking, but just buying." A pleased Schirra responded, "He is buying. Thank you very much. Very good.”
How many degrees are there in the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles?
There are the seven original degrees of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles. Candidate - a person invited to become a Turtle; Turtle - a Brother or Sister member duly initiated into the Order; Snapping Turtle - A Brother or Sister Turtle who has personally initiated 25 new Turtles;
What is a Grand Snapping Turtle?
Grand Snapping Turtle - A Brother or Sister Turtle who has initiated 50 or more Turtles; Imperial Turtle - A Brother or Sister Turtle who has initiated 100 or more Turtles; Past Imperial Turtle - A Brother or Sister who has initiated at least 150 new Turtles into the Order;
What is a master imperial turtle?
Master Imperial Turtle - A Brother or Sister who has initiated at least 500 new Turtles into the Order.
What is a ST turtle?
ST: Six or more consisting of Master Turtle, Senior and Junior Turtle, Senior and Junior Conductor turtle
What is the Turtle Secretary?
Turtle Secretary –To keep the minutes of the chapter.
What do the turtles ask the prospective candidate?
The Turtles approach the prospective candidate and solemnly ask him (or her)
Who founded the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles?
History of the Order. According to Denis P. McGowan of the "Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles", his father, the late Captain Hugh P. McGowan, U.S. Army Air Corps / U.S. Air Force Reserve (Ret.) and several pilots of the U.S. Army Air Corps 8th Air Force founded the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles in an officers' club while stationed in ...
What is a turtle's attitude?
Turtles are bright eyed, bushy tailed, fearless and unafraid folk with a fighter pilot attitude. They think clean, have fun a lot, and recognize the fact that you never get anyplace worthwhile in life unless you stick your neck out.
What is the motto of the Turtle Club?
Motto. Are you a Turtle? The Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles (" International Association of Turtles ", " Turtle Club ", or similar title) started as an informal "drinking club" between World War II pilots, self-described as "an honorable drinking fraternity composed of ladies and gentlemen of the highest morals and good character, ...
Who signed the Interstellar Association of Turtles?
A membership card for the "Interstellar Association of Turtles (Outer Shell Division)" signed by astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper and Wally Schirra sold at auction for $1,952 on May 5, 2011.
Who was the turtle in the 1962 Mercury Atlas 8 mission?
During the 1962 Mercury-Atlas 8 mission (part of the United States space program ), astronaut Wally Schirra was asked by a ground controller whether he was a turtle. Not wanting to use vulgar language while his communications were being broadcast worldwide, he temporarily stopped transmitting while he gave the required response "YBYSAIA".
What is the name of the turtle order?
The title of the turtle order was formerly Testudinata, although the term Chelonia was also regularly used. In the 1950s, priority was given to the Linnaean name Testudines as the formal name for the turtle order. The manner in which the neck folds is the most obvious feature separating the two modern turtle suborders.
What is the most obvious feature separating the two modern turtle suborders?
The manner in which the neck folds is the most obvious feature separating the two modern turtle suborders. Lower levels of taxonomy are defined mainly by differences in the skeleton, primarily the skull and shell.
How many species of testudines are there?
Order Testudines (turtles) 356 species found on all continents except Antarctica and in tropical and subtropical oceans and seas. Suborder Cryptodira (vertical-necked, or S-necked, turtles) 263 species in 11 families. Superfamily Testudinoidea. 190 species in 4 families.
How many species are there in the tropical ocean?
6 species in 5 genera of tropical oceans worldwide.
How many species are there in South America?
58 species in 14 genera of South America, Australia, New Guinea; family not assigned to a superfamily.
How many species of tortoises are there in the world?
Family Testudinidae ( tortoises) 65 species in 18 genera, mainly of Africa and Asia but also of Europe and the Americas. Family Geoemydidae (Asian river turtles, leaf and roofed turtles, Asian box turtles) 71 species in 18 genera of southern Europe to East Asia and Japan, Central America, and northern South America.
Where is the Blanding's turtle?
Blanding's turtle ( Emydoidea blandingii ), a species native to the Great Lakes region and adjacent river systems in North America, has been classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since 2013.
You are Invited to Join the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles
What started out as a way for WWII pilots to blow off steam has blossomed into an ever growing community. Turtles can be found around the globe who will respond to the password when challenged.
NEW FOR 2022! Membership Directory!
Finally, we are launching a directory of members. To be a part of the Turtle Member Directory requires a small fee to support the software and support. A Turtle Member listing is available for $1.99 per year.
Your in Good Company!
My grandfather was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles and his last breath was “You Bet Your Sweet Ass I Am!” At 95 he still enjoyed a short cocktail with friends and his laugh was infectious. So thankful for the fellowship provided by the Turtle association and thankful for Turtle Club Us in keeping the tradition going!
Who owns Turtle Owner?
TurtleOwner.com is owned and operated by The Turtle Owner Team . TurtleOwner.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Do tortoises sleep?
Like most animals, tortoises need to sleep, but unlike most animals tortoises have a very interesting way of sleeping. Tortoises prefer to sleep in safe spots that will keep them safe from...
What is the best thing a turtle can do?
The best thing a turtle can do is be active and not stay still. ..."you never get anywhere just standing around"
What is a ninja turtle?
Definition- A Ninja Turtle is a Turtle that is active in any kind of sport whether it be running, swimming, jogging, biking, walking etc. and use their activity to benefit a charity or spread Turtledom principles through events involving such activities.
Who founded the Order of Turtles?
Most credit the founding of the Ancient & Honorable Order of Turtles to US Army Air Corps officers in England during WWII. Denis P. McGowan is the son of Captain Hugh P. McGowan who was inspired by service club plaques in English pubs to form their own organization. From there it spread through VFW, American Legion, and eventually to Masonic groups.
What makes Turtle Club so special?
That is what makes the Turtle Club so special. We embrace diversity. Turtles are all race, religions, gender and drinking preference. Although this began as a drinking fraternity, coffee, milk or tea is just fine too. We don’t discriminate between long necks and stouts.
Is there a directory of turtles?
To date there isn’t a directory of Turtles or Ponds, it is our hope to implement an online directory this year. When you make a purchase from our website or simply register, you are assigned a unique member number. This is our first step in the process.
Overview
Turtles are an order of reptiles known as Testudines, characterized by a shell developed mainly from their ribs. Modern turtles are divided into two major groups, the Pleurodira (side necked turtles) and Cryptodira (hidden necked turtles), which differ in the way the head retracts. There are 360 living and recently extinct species of turtles, including land-dwelling tortoises and freshwater
Naming and etymology
The word turtle is derived from the French tortue or tortre ('turtle, tortoise'). It is a common name and may be used without knowledge of taxonomic distinctions. In North America, it may denote the order as a whole. In Britain, the name is used for sea turtles as opposed to freshwater terrapins and land-dwelling tortoises. In Australia, which lacks true tortoises (family Testudinidae), non-marine turtles were traditionally called tortoises, but more recently turtle has been used for the entire gr…
Anatomy and physiology
The largest living species of turtle (and fourth-largest reptile) is the leatherback turtle, which can reach over 2.7 m (8 ft 10 in) in length and weigh over 500 kg (1,100 lb). The largest known turtle was Archelon ischyros, a Late Cretaceous sea turtle up to 4.5 m (15 ft) long, 5.25 m (17 ft) wide between the tips of the front flippers, and estimated to have weighed over 2,200 kg (4,900 lb). The smallest living turtle is Chersobius signatus of South Africa, measuring no more than 10 cm (3.9 i…
Behavior
Most turtle species are opportunistic omnivores; land-dwelling species are more herbivorous and aquatic ones more carnivorous. Generally lacking speed and agility, most turtles feed either on plant material or on animals with limited movements like mollusks, worms, and insect larvae. Some species, such as the African helmeted turtle and snapping turtles, eat fish, amphibians, reptiles (incl…
Reproduction and lifecycle
Turtles have a wide variety of mating behaviors but do not form pair-bonds or social groups. In green sea turtles, females generally outnumber males. In terrestrial species, males are often larger than females and fighting between males establishes a dominance hierarchy for access to mates. For most semi-aquatic and bottom-walking aquatic species, combat occurs less often. Males …
Systematics and evolution
Zoologists have sought to explain the evolutionary origin of the turtles, and in particular of their unique shells. In 1914, Jan Versluys proposed that bony plates in the dermis, called osteoderms, fused to the ribs beneath them, later called the "Polka Dot Ancestor" by Olivier Rieppel. The theory accounted for the evolution of fossil pareiasaurs from Bradysaurus to Anthodon, but not for how the ribs cou…
Distribution and habitat
Turtles are widely distributed across the world's continents, oceans, and islands with terrestrial, fully aquatic, and semi-aquatic species. Sea turtles are mainly tropical and subtropical, but leatherbacks can be found in colder areas of the Atlantic and Pacific. Living Pleurodira all live in freshwater and are found only in the Southern Hemisphere. The Cryptodira include terrestrial, freshwater, and marine species, and these range more widely. The world regions richest in non-…
Conservation
Among vertebrate orders, turtles are second only to primates in the percentage of threatened species. 360 modern species have existed since 1500 AD. Of these, 51–56% are considered threatened and 60% considered threatened or extinct. Turtles face many threats, including habitat destruction, harvesting for consumption, the pet trade, light pollution, and climate change. Asian species h…
Overview
The Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles ("International Association of Turtles", "Turtle Club", or similar title) started as an informal "drinking club" between American World War II pilots, self-described as "an honorable drinking fraternity composed of ladies and gentlemen of the highest morals and good character, who are never vulgar."
Turtle Creed
Members of the group were provided the "Turtle Creed" to carry in their wallet. The creed states:
Turtles are bright eyed, bushy tailed, fearless and unafraid folk with a fighter pilot attitude. They think clean, have fun a lot, and recognize the fact that you never get anyplace worthwhile in life unless you stick your neck out.The "Turtles" are indeed an illustrious group and include in their membership ranks some of the country's foremost leaders in the fields of government, finance, …
History of the Order
According to Denis P. McGowan of the "Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles", his father, the late Captain Hugh P. McGowan, U.S. Army Air Corps/U.S. Air Force Reserve (Ret.) and several pilots of the U.S. Army Air Corps 8th Air Force founded the Ancient and Honorable Order of Turtles in an officers' club while stationed in England during the Second World War: "We were flying daytime bombing missions over Hitler's Third Reich. We just wanted a little fun. We had seen a si…
Qualifying questions
To gain admission, one must correctly answer a number (usually three or four) from a list of questions, each of which suggests a vulgar, lewd, or salacious answer, but the actual correct answer is rather innocuous. It is assumed that all prospective Turtles own a diabetic donkey, or one of a sweet and kindly disposition; therefore once inducted, a member must reply to the question "Are you a Turtle?" with "You bet your sweet ass I am." If the member is unable or unwill…
Historical references
During the 1962 Mercury-Atlas 8 mission (part of the United States space program), astronaut Wally Schirra was asked by a ground controller whether he was a turtle. Not wanting to use vulgar language while his communications were being broadcast worldwide, he temporarily stopped transmitting while he gave the required response "YBYSAIA".
Deke Slayton, a mere three minutes into Sigma 7's flight, came on the radio, which was open for …
References in pop culture
• In 1969, Dial Records released the 45rpm single "Are You a Turtle" by rock/soul group The Brotherhood, fronted by Ben Thayer. The single (Dial #4092) became a regional hit in the Southeast.
• In the 1975 three-novel collection The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, references to the order are made various times including this one involving Lady Velkor: "Lady Velkor, wearing a green peasant blouse and green hotpants, looked around the geo…
External links
• Turtle Club information
• World Turtle Order
• Resources for Turtles
• RUA Turtle? The Masonic Press Turtle Page