Sunday, December 4, 2011

Wonderful Tortoise Facts About the Creatures That Live Within Their Shells

By Alan Stables


The world of animal life, especially that of tortoises and tortoise facts is always interesting. There are very few reptiles that can outperform tortoises and turtles when it comes to longevity. American box turtles are known the world over for their lifespan that may cross well over a hundred years.

Regardless of a turtle's age, they organs are efficient. There are some 40 different types of over 250 varies species that make up the family of turtles.

The most popular ones known to be found are Mediterranean tortoises, the Aldabran tortoises, Galapagos tortoises, the, the red foot tortoises, the desert tortoises, the hinge back tortoises, the yellow foot tortoises and the Russian tortoises.

Some species of turtles reach large sizes. This species is called the leatherback turtles - the largest turtles known to date. This turtle has the capacity to grow up to 8 feet tall and can weigh as much as 800 kilograms. On a different note, the smallest family of turtles can be less than 4 inches tall and weigh roughly one hundred grams.

The shells on these turtles provide protection. Their shells allow them to pull themselves in and out of their shells for protection.

The upper part of this effective body shield is called carapace and the inner side is known as plastron. It is made up of about sixty bones and is always attached to the spinal cords of tortoises. Many tortoises' shells have dome-shaped high carapaces.

The pancake tortoise is found in eastern Africa. Researchers believe they can inflate and extract air depending on its environment. Most researchers believe this is due to their long lifespan and shell size.

Tortoises make great pets but may prove to be some of the most terrestrial animals out there. Learn the tortoise facts for your future reference.




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