Tortoise Facts That May Surprise You

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Nature is a calming setting and with tortoises, there are plenty of tortoise facts to learn. A few reptiles can outperform tortoises and turtles when it comes to longevity. American box turtles are widely known for their lifespan – over one hundred years.

Regardless of a turtle’s age, they organs are efficient throughout their lifetime. There are around 40 different types of over 250 varies species that make up the turtle families.

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 turtles reach large sizes. Those are known as the leatherback turtles. This turtle has the capacity to grow up to 8 feet tall and can weigh as much as 800 kilograms, making it the largest turtle to date. On the other hand, the smallest family of turtles can be less than 4 inches tall and weigh a little above a hundred grams.

The shells on these reptiles help cover their bodies and provide protection. Their shells act as protection as most can pull themselves in and out of their shells.

The upper part of their body shield if effective in many ways. This area is called the carapace while the inner side is known as the plastron. In total, it encompasses about sixty bones and is attached to the spinal cord. Many shells are dome-shaped high carapaces, giving distinct shell shapes.

The pancake tortoise found in eastern Africa is an exception as it is believed to inflate and extract air depending on the surroundings and situations. Most experts also believe that it is due to these shells that tortoises have really long lifespan.

Tortoises are the most terrestrial animals out there but make splendid pets. Learn the tortoise facts for your future reference and guidance.

Alan Stables is a naturalist with a keen interest on living animals and alternative livestock. Amongst the most interesting tortoise facts are how people give their tortoise names and the different types of tortoise housing they use.

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Topics: Reptiles | Comments Off

Tags: animals, nature, Pets, Reptiles, tortoise, tortoise facts, tortoises

Article Citation
MLA Style Citation:
Stables, Alan "Tortoise Facts That May Surprise You." Tortoise Facts That May Surprise You. 2 Dec. 2011. uberarticles.com. 10 Apr 2012 <http://uberarticles.com/pets/reptiles/tortoise-facts-that-may-surprise-you/>.

APA Style Citation:
Stables, A (2011, December 2). Tortoise Facts That May Surprise You. Retrieved April 10, 2012, from http://uberarticles.com/pets/reptiles/tortoise-facts-that-may-surprise-you/

Chicago Style Citation:
Stables, Alan "Tortoise Facts That May Surprise You" uberarticles.com. http://uberarticles.com/pets/reptiles/tortoise-facts-that-may-surprise-you/

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