That's Not My Turtle...

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Just like your bones, a turtle’s shell is actually part of its skeleton. It’s made up of over 50 bones which include the turtle’s rib cage and spine.

There are many other reasons a Chelonian (turtle or tortoise) can refuse to eat – and we’re going to go through them – but first and foremost, DON’T PANIC! Continue to step six. Yes This beautiful animal clearly has the distinct circular ridges on their scutes that bog turtles and wood turtles share.

Let’s not forget that in the wild they can go 2-7 months every single year without feeding, during either hibernation (brumation), or aestivation (a dormant state to handle heat or drought). Juveniles do not hibernate as deeply as adults, but still go days or weeks without feeding. Frequently, baby turtles will have brighter colors and patterns than adults. They also tend to have less scarring. How to Identify a Turtle by its Shell For aquatic turtles, measure the temperature of the basking spot, and any other land areas with an infrared thermometer gun. For water temperature use a submersible aquarium thermometer. This means turtles that live in rainforests never experience the 86°F (30°C) summer heat that occurs in the U.S. or southern Europe.

Cooters and sliders are the most prevalent turtles in the United States. They’re difficult to tell apart – even for biologists! To complicate matters, some of them hybridize in overlapping territories. Mata mata turtles are genuinely unique in their appearance. Their entire physical appearance evolved to blend in with dead leaves. A mata mata’s triangular head and wrinkly limbs have fleshy protrusions. They suggest the appearance of torn and tattered dead plant matter. The spotted turtle ( Clemmys guttata) is the only North American freshwater turtle with easily identifiable yellow spots on its dark skin and shell.

I recommend a water temperature of 80-90°F (27-32°C), and depth of one third of their carapace height for around 10 minutes. Use a thermometer and change the water if it cools down too much. One of the most stressful situations is when a turtle is not eating. Fortunately, with turtles and tortoises this problem can generally be solved quite easily, and often without the help of a vet. Aquatic turtles tend to have streamlined, flattened shells that help them expend less energy while swimming. This feature applies to both freshwater turtles and sea turtles.

Hinged– Attached or joined with a movable mechanism. Turtles with hinged shells can partially or entirely seal their carapace and plastron together. They hide their fleshy body parts inside.What a turtle eats depends on the environment it lives in. Land-dwelling turtles will munch on beetles, fruit and grass, whereas sea dwellers will gobble everything from algae to squid and jellyfish. The easiest way to tell adult cooters and sliders apart from other aquatic turtles is their size. They’re the only North American pond turtles that can reach shell lengths over 12”. Mud Turtles (genus Kinosternon) This Striped Mud Turtle (Kinosternon Baurii) tries to hide, but its scutes can still be counted. Wood turtles ( Glyptemys insculpta) and bog turtles ( Glyptemys muhlenbergii) are two related turtle species with circular ridges on their scutes. Often, they do better indoors for the first year or so of life, then outdoors in an enclosed pen after that, up until they reach roughly 10 cm (4 in) in length. Should I break out the treats?

Sadly, many species of turtle are endangered! 129 of approximately 300 species of turtle and tortoise on Earth today are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered, according to the IUCN. Threats include loss of habitat, pollution, poaching and the illegal pet trade. Also, bear in mind that although turtles and tortoises do great outdoors as adults (providing it’s warm enough in your area), juveniles can feel exposed to predation. Range: Central United States Bonus Round: Identifying Exotic Pet Store Turtles If you find this turtle outside in the united states, it likely will happen to be there by accident. Something that always makes me cringe is when I see a tiny baby turtle being kept in a huge tank, with 2 ft (60 cm) deep water. For our identification guide, we include box turtles with tortoises. North America’s box turtle species are:

Regency adventures: ‘The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered ladies’ by Alison Goodman October 23, 2023 The loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta) is the world’s LARGEST hard-shelled turtle. They weigh up to 1,202 pounds! Loggerheads have a keeled, dark brown carapace. Males have longer tails and claws than females. Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtle Tortoises are curious by nature and can be tempted by brightly coloured or strong-smelling fruit. For a sulky tortoise, red watermelon is my go-to, though it is high in sugar and should not be given too often. A pancake tortoise’s carapace is brown with radiating dark lines on each scute. They’re one of the reasonably sized tortoise species. Pancake tortoises usually stay under 7 inches long. Their body is perfectly adapted to living life in the scrub savannas of Africa. Red-footed Tortoise ( Chelonoidis carbonarius)