Portal:Turtles
Turtles are reptiles characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield. The earliest known turtles date from 157 million years ago. Turtles are ectotherms—they vary their internal temperature according to the ambient environment (commonly known as cold-bloodedness). However, leatherback sea turtles have noticeably higher body temperature than surrounding water because of their high metabolic rate. Though turtles live in and around water, they breathe air and lay eggs on land.
| More about the turtle... |
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
The loggerhead sea turtle is found in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea. It spends most of its life in saltwater and estuarine habitats, with females briefly coming ashore to lay eggs. The loggerhead sea turtle has a low reproductive rate; females lay an average of four egg clutches and then become quiescent, producing no eggs for two to three years. The loggerhead reaches sexual maturity within 17–33 years and has a lifespan of 47–67 years.
The loggerhead sea turtle is omnivorous, feeding mainly on bottom dwelling invertebrates. Its large and powerful jaws serve as an effective tool in dismantling its prey. Young loggerheads are exploited by numerous predators; the eggs are especially vulnerable to terrestrial organisms. Once the turtles reach adulthood, their formidable size limits predation to large marine organisms such as sharks.
Loggerheads are considered an endangered species and are protected by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Untended fishing gear is responsible for many loggerhead deaths. Turtles may also suffocate if they are trapped in fishing trawls. Turtle excluder devices (TEDs) have been implemented in efforts to reduce mortality by providing the turtle an escape route. Loss of suitable nesting beaches and the introduction of exotic predators has also taken a toll on loggerhead populations. Efforts to restore their numbers will require international cooperation since the turtles roam vast areas of ocean and critical nesting beaches are scattered among several countries.
WikiProjects related to turtles:
- ... that the extinct sea turtle Psephophorus was once mistaken as an ancient armadillo due to the specimen's poor condition?
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Box-header/colours' not found.
A young pig-nosed turtle (Carettochelys insculpta)) in captivity in Slovakia. Showing the "flying" mode of swimming of this species.
|
{{Wikipedia:WikiProject Turtles/Article alerts|display=columns}}
|
| Updated daily |
Template:/box-header {{Wikipedia:WikiProject_Turtles/Things you can do}} Template:/box-footer Template:/box-header
- African spurred tortoise
- Aldabra giant tortoise
- Alligator snapping turtle
- Arakan forest turtle
- Archelon
- Blanding's turtle
Bog turtle- Box turtle
- Chelidae
- Cheloniidae
- Chelydridae
- Common snapping turtle
- Cryptodira
- Desert tortoise
- Diamondback terrapin
- Eastern box turtle
- Emydidae
- European pond turtle
- Flatback sea turtle
- Florida softshell turtle
- Galápagos tortoise
- Geochelone
- Geochelone nigra abingdoni
- Geoemydidae
- Giant tortoise
- Gopherus polyphemus
- Graptemys
- Green turtle
- Hawksbill sea turtle
- Hermann's tortoise
- Hoan Kiem turtle
- Indian star tortoise
- Kemp's ridley
- Kinosternoidea
- Leatherback sea turtle
- Leopard tortoise
- List of Testudines families
- Loggerhead sea turtle
- Marginated tortoise
- Mata mata
- Meiolania
- Mud turtle
- Odontochelys
- Olive ridley sea turtle
- Painted turtle
- Pancake tortoise
- Pig-nosed turtle
- Pleurodira
- Proganochelys
- Pseudemys
- Radiated tortoise
- Rafetus swinhoei
- Red-eared slider
- Red-footed tortoise
- Russian tortoise
- Sea turtle
- Seychelles giant tortoise
- Speckled padloper tortoise
- Spotted turtle
- Spur-thighed tortoise
- Terrapene carolina
- Testudinoidea
- Tortoise
- Trionychia
- Trionychidae
- Turtle
- Turtle farming
- U.S. state reptiles
- Western pond turtle
Wood turtle- Yellow-bellied slider
Represents a Featured article or a Featured list, Represents a Good article
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Science | Biology | Evolutionary biology | Animals | Amphibians and Reptiles |
Extinct and Endangered Species |
- What are portals?
- List of portals
- Featured portals
