LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Turtles: Species
built 290 days ago
Turtles are reptiles, a class of about 6,000 vertebrate species that have scaly skin, breathe air and use sunlight to heat their bodies (ectotherms). Like all reptiles, turtles reproduce through internal fertilization and, like most reptiles, lay their soft-shelled eggs on land.
Source:
Turtles lay eggs, like other reptiles, which are slightly soft and leathery. The eggs of the largest species are spherical, while the eggs of the rest are elongated. Their albumen is white and contains a different protein than bird eggs, such that it will not coagulate when cooked. Turtle eggs prepared to eat consist mainly of yolk. 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.
Source:
Turtles are found throughout most of the temperate and tropical world and in the open ocean; of the 270 known species, 42% are rare or threatened with extinction. Many turtles and their eggs are valued as food. Edible species include several marine turtles, the green turtle (traditional ingredient of turtle soup), the diamondback terrapin, and the soft-shelled turtles. Catching females when they lay eggs on land has contributed to a serious decline in many species, since it can take 10 to 30 years for some turtles to reach sexual maturity.
Source:
Turtles are losing their homes and lives due to environmental changes such as construction, and road traffic, and ... because of wild capturing and importation for retailers. Many turtles become a family pet, either through a purchase at a pet store or because they were found in the wild and brought home, only for the owner to find out that it is not the 'easy care' pet that they thought. After years of keeping turtles, it was soon obvious to me that I needed to do more for the benefit for our shelled friends here in the Hoosier State. I am licensed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources as a wildlife rehabilitator, specializing in turtles and tortoises.
Source:
The amphibious turtles normally have limbs similar to those of tortoises except that the feet are webbed and often have long claws. These turtles swim using all four feet in a way similar to the dog paddle, with the feet on the left and right side of the body alternately providing thrust. Large turtles tend to swim less than smaller ones, and the very big species, such as alligator snapping turtles, hardly swim at all, preferring to simply walk along the bottom of the river or lake. As well as webbed feet, turtles ... have very long claws, used to help them clamber onto riverbanks and floating logs, upon which they like to bask. Male turtles tend to have particularly long claws, and these appear to be used to stimulate the female while mating. While most turtles have webbed feet, a few turtles, such as the pig-nose turtles, have true flippers, with the digits being fused into paddles and the claws being relatively small.
Source:
Fire ants have an adverse impact on agriculture and wildlife, including the decimation of some ground nesting birds, turtles, frogs and arthropods species. They damage farm equipment, electrical systems, irrigation systems and crops. In urban areas, fire ants build mounds in sunny, open areas such as lawns, playgrounds, ball fields, parks, golf courses and along road shoulders. In winter, they move their colonies underneath the pavement and alongside buildings to stay warm. During periods of environmental distress, such as food shortage, excessively hot or dry spells or heavy rainfall, fire ants may move into homes.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Species