Tortoise

history

Tortoises or land turtles are land-dwelling reptiles of the family of Testudinidae, order Testudines. Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimeters to two meters. Tortoises tend to be diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive animals.

Turtles, tortoises and terrapins

Although the word turtle is widely used to describe all members of the order Testudines, it is also common to see certain members described as terrapins, tortoises or sea turtles as well. Precisely how these alternative names are used, if at all, depends on the type of English being used.
  • British English normally describes these reptiles as turtles if they live in the sea; terrapins if they live in fresh or brackish water; or tortoises if they live on land. However, there are exceptions to this where American or Australian common names are in wide use, as with the Fly River turtle.
  • American English tends to use the word turtle for all freshwater species, as well as for certain land-dwelling species (e.g. box turtles). Oceanic species are usually referred to as sea turtles, and tortoise is restricted to members of the true tortoise family, Testudinidae. The name terrapin is typically reserved only for the brackish water diamondback terrapin, Malaclemys terrapin; the word terrapin being derived from the Algonquian word for this animal.»http://www.bartleby.com/61/1/T0120100.html
  • Australian English uses turtle for both the marine and freshwater species but tortoise for the terrestrial species.
To avoid confusion, the word chelonian is popular among veterinarians, scientists, and conservationists working with these animals as a catch-all name for any member of the superorder Chelonia which includes all turtles, tortoises and terrapins living and extinct, as well as their immediate ancestors. It is based on the Ancient Greek word χελώνη, chelÅnÄ“; Modern Greek χελώνα, chelÅna; meaning turtle/tortoise.

Biology

Birth

Female tortoises dig nesting burrows in which they lay from one to thirty eggs. Egg laying typically occurs at night, after which the mother tortoise covers her clutch with sand, soil, and organic material. The eggs are left unattended, and depending on the species, take from 60 to 120 days to incubate. The size of the egg depends on the size of the mother and can be estimated by examining the width of the cloacal opening between the carapace and plastron. The plastron of a female tortoise often has a noticeable V-shaped notch below the tail to facilitate passing the eggs. Upon completion of the incubation period, a fully-formed hatchling uses an egg tooth to break out of its shell. It digs to the surface of the nest and begins a life of survival on its own. Hatchlings are born with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of nutrition for the first 3 to 7 days until they have the strength and mobility to find food. Juvenile tortoises often require a different balance of nutrients than adults, and therefore may eat foods which a more mature tortoise would not. For example, it is common that the young of a strictly herbivorous species will consume worms or insect larvae for additional protein.

Lifespan

in Rainbow Basin near Barstow, California]]

There are many old wives tales about the age of turtles and tortoises, one of which being that the age of a tortoise can be deduced by counting the number of concentric rings on its carapace, much like the cross-section of a tree. This is not true, since the growth of a tortoise depends highly on the access of food and water. A tortoise that has access to plenty of forage (or is regularly fed by its owner) will grow faster than a Desert Tortoise that goes days without eating.

Tortoises generally have lifespans comparable with those of human beings, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years. Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China. The oldest tortoise ever recorded, almost the oldest individual animal ever recorded, was Tu'i Malila, which was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. Tui Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tui Malila was 188 years old. The record for the longest-lived vertebrate is exceeded only by one other, a koi named Hanako whose death on July 17, 1977 ended a 226 year life span.»Hanako

The Alipore Zoo in India was the home to Adwaita, which zoo officials claimed was the oldest living animal until its death on March 23, 2006. Adwaita (sometimes spelled with two d's) was an Aldabra Giant Tortoise brought to India by Lord Wellesley who handed it over to the Alipur Zoological Gardens in 1875 when the zoo was set up. Zoo officials state they have documentation showing that Adwaita was at least 130 years old, but claim that he was over 250 years old (although this has not been scientifically verified). Adwaita was said to be the pet of Robert Clive.

Harriet, a resident at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, was apocryphally thought to have been brought to England by Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle. Harriet died on June 23, 2006, just shy of her 176th birthday.

Timothy, a spur-thighed tortoise, lived to be approximately 165 years old. For 38 years she was carried as a mascot aboard various ships in Britain's Royal Navy. Then in 1892, at age 53 she retired to the grounds of Powderham Castle in Devon. Up to the time of her passing in 2004 she was believed to be the UK's oldest resident.

According to articles published by the Daily Mail and the Times in December 2008, Jonathan, a Seychelles Giant tortoise living on the island of St Helena may be as old as 176»Jonathan the 176-year-old tortoise revealed as world's oldest animal in Boer War photo Daily Mail, December 5, 2008 or 178 years.»Boer War memento puts years on Jonathan the tortoise. The Times, December 4, 2008 If this is true, he could be the current oldest living animal on Earth.

Sexual dimorphism

Many, though not all, species of tortoises are sexually dimorphic, though the differences between males and females vary from species to species. In some species, males have a longer, more protruding neck plate than their female counterparts, while in others the claws are longer on the females. In most tortoise species, the female tends to be larger than the male. Some believe that males grow quicker, while the female grows slower but larger. The male also has a plastron that is curved inwards to aid reproduction. The easiest way to determine the sex of a tortoise is to look at the tail. The females, as a general rule have a smaller tail which is dropped down whereas the males have a much longer tail which is usually pulled up and to the side of the rear shell.

General information

Giant tortoises move very slowly on dry land, at only .2003 Grolier Encyclopedia, The Great Book of Knowledge, The Speed of Animals, pp. 278

Diet

.]] Most land based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits. Pet tortoises typically require a diet based on wild grasses, weeds and certain flowers. Certain species occasionally consume worms or insects, but too much protein is detrimental as it can cause shell deformation and other medical problems. Cat or dog foods should not be fed to tortoises, as these do not contain the proper balance of nutrients for a reptile; in particular, they are too high in protein. Additionally, it should not be assumed that all captive tortoises can be fed on the same diet. As different tortoise species vary greatly in their nutritional requirements it is essential to thoroughly research the dietary needs of your individual tortoise. Commercial tortoise pellets should not be offered as despite their claims they are not formulated to meet the nutritional needs of any type of tortoise. Large pellets have been known to rupture the oesophagus which begins the onset of choking and can cause a slow painful death. The best approach to determining the proper diet is to consult a qualified veterinarian specialising in chelonian care.

Taxonomy

The following species list largely follows Ernst & Barbour (1989), as indicated by The Reptile Database. However, the newly erected genera Astrochelys, Chelonoidis, and Stigmochelys have been retained within Geochelone.
  • Chersina
    • Chersina angulata, Bowsprit Tortoise
  • Cylindraspis (All species Extinct)
  • Dipsochelys
  • Geochelone
    • Geochelone carbonaria, Red-Footed Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Chelonoidis
    • Geochelone chilensis, Chaco or Chilean Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Chelonoidis
    • Geochelone denticulata, Yellow-Footed Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Chelonoidis
    • Geochelone elegans, Indian Star Tortoise
    • Geochelone nigra, Galápagos Giant Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Chelonoidis
    • Geochelone pardalis, Leopard Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Stigmochelys or in Psammobates
    • Geochelone platynota, Burmese Star Tortoise
    • Geochelone radiata, Radiated Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Astrochelys
    • Geochelone sulcata, African Spurred Tortoise (Sulcata Tortoise)
    • Geochelone yniphora, Angulated Tortoise, Madagascan (Plowshare) Tortoise; sometimes placed in distinct genus Astrochelys
  • Gopherus
    • Gopherus agassizii, Desert Tortoise
    • Gopherus berlandieri, Texas Tortoise
    • Gopherus flavomarginatus, Bolson Tortoise
    • Gopherus polyphemus, Gopher Tortoise
  • †Hadrianus
    • Hadrianus corsoni (syn. H. octonarius)
    • Hadrianus robustus
    • Hadrianus schucherti
    • Hadrianus utahensis
  • Homopus
    • Homopus aerolatus, Parrot-Beaked Cape Tortoise
    • Homopus boulengeri, Boulenger's Cape Tortoise
    • Homopus femoralis, Karroo Cape Tortoise
    • Homopus signatus, Speckled Cape Tortoise, Speckled Padloper
    • Homopus bergeri, Berger's Cape Tortoise, Nama padloper, synonym Homopus solus
  • Indotestudo
  • Kinixys
    • Kinixys belliana, Bell's Hinge-Backed Tortoise
    • Kinixys erosa, Serrated Hinge-Backed Tortoise
    • Kinixys homeana, Home's Hinge-Backed Tortoise
    • Kinixys lobatsiana, Lobatse Hingeback Tortoise
    • Kinixys natalensis, Natal Hinge-Backed Tortoise
    • Kinixys spekii, Speke's Hingeback Tortoise
  • Malacochersus
    • Malacochersus tornieri, Pancake Tortoise
  • Manouria
    • Manouria emys, Brown Tortoise (Mountain Tortoise)
    • Manouria impressa, Impressed Tortoise
  • Psammobates
  • Pyxis
    • Pyxis arachnoides, Madagascan Spider Tortoise
    • Pyxis planicauda, Madagascan Flat-Tailed Tortoise
  • Stylemys (Genus extinct)
    • Stylemys botti
    • Stylemys calaverensis
    • Stylemys canetotiana
    • Stylemys capax
    • Stylemys conspecta
    • Stylemys copei
    • Stylemys emiliae
    • Stylemys frizaciana
    • Stylemys karakolensis
    • Stylemys nebrascensis (syn. S. amphithorax)
    • Stylemys neglectus
    • Stylemys oregonensis
    • Stylemys pygmea
    • Stylemys uintensis
    • Stylemys undabuna
  • Testudo
    • Testudo atlas, Atlas tortoise, Colossochelys (Extinct)
    • Testudo graeca, Greek Tortoise (Spur-Thighed Tortoise)
    • Testudo hermanni, Herman's Tortoise
    • Testudo horsfieldii, Russian Tortoise (Horsfield's Tortoise, or Central Asian Tortoise)
    • Testudo kleinmanni, Egyptian Tortoise, incl. Negev Tortoise
    • Testudo marginata, Marginated Tortoise
    • Testudo nabeulensis, Tunisian Spur-thigh Tortoise

In religion

, Cambodia, shows Samudra manthan-Vishnu in the centre, his turtle avatar Kurma below, asuras and devas to left and right.]] In Hinduism, Kurma () was the second avatar of Vishnu. Like the Matsya Avatara also belongs to the Satya Yuga. Vishnu took the form of a half-man half-tortoise, the lower half being a tortoise. He is normally shown as having four arms. He sat on the bottom of the ocean after the Great Flood. A mountain was placed on his back by the other gods so that they could churn the sea and find the ancient treasures of the Vedic peoples. Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as Oracle Bones to make predictions.

Cultural depictions

Gallery

Image:Tortoise-Hatchling.jpg|A baby Testudo marginata emerges from its shell Image:Baby_tortoise.jpg|A baby tortoise, less than a day old Image:Testudo x4.jpg|Testudo graeca ibera, Testudo hermanni boettgeri, Testudo hermanni hermanni, Testudo marginata sarda File:Young Sulcata Tortoise.01.jpg|A young (3.5 years) Sulcata Tortoise Geochelone sulcata Image:Tortoise closeup.jpg|A young, 20 year old Tanzanian Leopard Tortoise feeding on grass Image:aldabra.giant.tortoise.arp.jpg|Aldabra Giant Tortoise Geochelone gigantea Image:Leopards tortoise.jpg|App 22 year old Leopard Tortoise File:Geochelone sulcata -Oakland Zoo -feeding-8a.jpg|An African Spurred Tortoise from the Oakland Zoo Image:Tortoise mating.jpg|Pair of tortoises mate in a zoo Image:TurtleRideIfrog.jpg|A boy rides tortoise at a zoo

References

Further reading

External links

home | This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full license termsIt uses material from the Wikipedia article "tortoise ". | compliance | March 22nd 2010