Tortoise

From Wikivisual

Tortoises
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A Galápagos tortoise (Geochelone nigra)
Scientific classification [ e ]</small>
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Reptilia
Order:	Testudines
Suborder:	Cryptodira
Superfamily:	Testudinoidea
Family:	Testudinidae Gray 1825<ref name="gray">Gray, J.E.. "A synopsis of the genera of reptiles and amphibia, with a description of some new species". Annals of Philosophy 2 (10): 193-217. </ref>

Tortoises (Testudinidae) or land turtles are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of Turtles (Testudines). Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimeters to two meters. Tortoises are usually diurnal animals with tendencies to be crepuscular depending on the ambient temperatures. They are generally reclusive animals.

Contents 1 Use of the term "tortoise" 2 Biology 2.1 Birth 2.2 Lifespan 2.3 Sexual dimorphism 3 General information 4 Diet 5 Taxonomy 6 In religion 7 Cultural depictions 8 Gallery 9 See also 10 References 11 Further reading 12 External links

[edit] Use of the term "tortoise"

Although the word "tortoise" is used by biologists in reference to the family Testudinidae only, in common usage it is used to describe many land-dwelling turtles. The inclusiveness of the term depends on the variety of English being used.

• British English normally describes these reptiles as "tortoises" if they live on land.
• American English tends to use the word "tortoise" for land-dwelling species, including members of Testudinidae, as well as other species such as box tortoises, though use of "turtle" by default is as common.
• Australian English uses "tortoise" for terrestrial species, including semi-aquatic species that live near ponds and streams. Traditionally a "tortoise" has feet (including webbed feet) while a "turtle" has flippers.

[edit] Biology

[edit] Birth

Female tortoises dig nesting burrows in which they lay from one to thirty eggs.<ref name="Eggs">Andy Highfield. "Tortoise Trust Egg F.A.Q". Tortoisetrust.org. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/eggfaq.html. Retrieved 2009-04-07. </ref> Egg laying typically occurs at night, after which the mother tortoise covers her clutch with sand, soil, and organic material. The eggs are left unattended, and depending on the species, take from 60 to 120 days to incubate.<ref name="Incubation">Andy Highfield. "Tortoise egg incubation". Tortoisetrust.org. http://www.tortoisetrust.org/articles/eggfaq.html. Retrieved 2009-04-07. </ref> The size of the egg depends on the size of the mother and can be estimated by examining the width of the cloacal opening between the carapace and plastron. The plastron of a female tortoise often has a noticeable V-shaped notch below the tail which facilitates passing the eggs. Upon completion of the incubation period, a fully-formed hatchling uses an egg tooth to break out of its shell. It digs to the surface of the nest and begins a life of survival on its own. Hatchlings are born with an embryonic egg sac which serves as a source of nutrition for the first 3 to 7 days until they have the strength and mobility to find food. Juvenile tortoises often require a different balance of nutrients than adults, and therefore may eat foods which a more mature tortoise would not. For example, it is common that the young of a strictly herbivorous species will consume worms or insect larvae for additional protein.

[edit] Lifespan

There are many old wives tales about the age of turtles and tortoises, one of which being that the age of a tortoise can be deduced by counting the number of concentric rings on its carapace, much like the cross-section of a tree. This is not true, since the growth of a tortoise depends highly on the accessibility of food and water. A tortoise that has access to plenty of forage (or is regularly fed by its owner) will grow faster than a Desert Tortoise that goes days without eating.

Tortoises generally have lifespans comparable with those of human beings, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years. Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China. The oldest tortoise ever recorded, and one of the oldest individuals animal ever recorded, was Tu'i Malila, which was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1777. Tui Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tui Malila was 188 years old.<ref>"Tortoise Believed to Have Been Owned by Darwin Dies at 176 - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News". FOXNews.com. 2006-06-26. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,200831,00.html. Retrieved 2009-04-07. </ref> The record for the longest-lived vertebrate is exceeded only by one other, a koi named Hanako whose death on July 17, 1977 ended a 226 year life span.<ref>Hanako</ref>

The Alipore Zoo in India was the home to Adwaita, which zoo officials claimed was the oldest living animal until its death on March 23, 2006. Adwaita (sometimes spelled with two d's) was an Aldabra Giant Tortoise brought to India by Lord Wellesley who handed it over to the Alipur Zoological Gardens in 1875 when the zoo was set up. Zoo officials state they have documentation showing that Adwaita was at least 130 years old, but claim that he was over 250 years old (although this has not been scientifically verified). Adwaita was said to be the pet of Robert Clive.<ref>"World | South Asia | 'Clive of India's' tortoise dies". BBC News. 2006-03-23. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4837988.stm. Retrieved 2009-04-07. </ref>

Harriet, a resident at the Australia Zoo in Queensland, was apocryphally thought to have been brought to England by Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle. Harriet died on June 23, 2006, just shy of her 176th birthday.

Timothy, a spur-thighed tortoise, lived to be approximately 165 years old. For 38 years she was carried as a mascot aboard various ships in Britain's Royal Navy. Then in 1892, at age 53 she retired to the grounds of Powderham Castle in Devon. Up to the time of her passing in 2004 she was believed to be the UK's oldest resident.

According to articles published by the Daily Mail and the Times in December 2008, Jonathan, a Seychelles Giant tortoise living on the island of St Helena may be as old as 176<ref>Jonathan the 176-year-old tortoise revealed as world's oldest animal in Boer War photo Daily Mail, December 5, 2008</ref> or 178 years.<ref>Boer War memento puts years on Jonathan the tortoise. The Times, December 4, 2008</ref> If this is true, he could be the current oldest living animal on Earth.

[edit] Sexual dimorphism

Many species of tortoises are sexually dimorphic, though the differences between males and females vary from species to species. In some species, males have a longer, more protruding neck plate than their female counterparts, while in others the claws are longer on the females. In most tortoise species, the female tends to be larger than the male. Some believe that males grow quicker, while the female grows slower but larger. The male also has a plastron that is curved inwards to aid reproduction. The easiest way to determine the sex of a tortoise is to look at the tail. The females, as a general rule have a smaller tail which is dropped down whereas the males have a much longer tail which is usually pulled up and to the side of the rear shell.

[edit] General information

Giant tortoises move very slowly on dry land, at only 0.17 miles per hour (0.27 km/h).<ref>2003 Grolier Encyclopedia, The Great Book of Knowledge, The Speed of Animals, pp. 278</ref>

[edit] Diet

Most land based tortoises are herbivores, feeding on grazing grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and some fruits. Pet tortoises typically require a diet based on wild grasses, weeds and certain flowers. Certain species occasionally consume worms or insects, but too much protein is detrimental as it can cause shell deformation and other medical problems. Cat or dog foods should not be fed to tortoises, as these do not contain the proper balance of nutrients for a reptile; in particular, they are too high in protein. Additionally, it should not be assumed that all captive tortoises can be fed on the same diet. As different tortoise species vary greatly in their nutritional requirements it is essential to thoroughly research the dietary needs of your individual tortoise. Commercial tortoise pellets should not be offered as despite their claims they are not formulated to meet the nutritional needs of any type of tortoise. Large pellets have been known to rupture the oesophagus which begins the onset of choking and can cause a slow painful death. The best approach to determining the proper diet is to consult a qualified veterinarian specialising in chelonian care.

[edit] Taxonomy

The following species list largely follows Rhodin et al., 2010<ref name=iucn>Anders G.J. Rhodin, Peter Paul van Dijk, John B. Iverson, and H. Bradley Shaffer. 2010. Turtles of the World, 2010 Update: Annotated Checklist of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status</ref>, this is a work in progress.

Family Testudinidae Batsch 1788<ref name=bat88>Batsch, A.J.G.C. 1788. Versuch einer Anleitung zur Kenntniss und Geschichte der Thiere und Mineralien. Erster Theil. Allgemeine Geschichte der Natur; besondre der Säugthiere, Vögel, Amphibien und Fische. Jena: Akademischen Buchandlung, 528 pp.</ref>

Subfamily Testudininae

• Aldabrachelys
  • Aldabrachelys gigantea gigantea, Aldabra Giant Tortoise, common synonyms Geochelone gigantea, Dipsochelys gigantea
  • Aldabrachelys gigantea arnoldi, Arnold's Giant Tortoise,
  • Aldabrachelys gigantea daudinii (Extinct)
  • Aldabrachelys gigantea hololissa, Seychelles giant tortoise
  • Aldabrachelys abrupta (Extinct)
  • Aldabrachelys grandidieri (Extinct)

• Astrochelys Gray, 1873
  • Astrochelys radiata, Radiated Tortoise
  • Astrochelys yniphora, Angulated Tortoise, Madagascan (Plowshare) Tortoise

• Chelonoidis Fitzinger, 1835.
  • Chelonoidis carbonaria, Red-Footed Tortoise
  • Chelonoidis chilensis, Chaco or Chilean Tortoise
  • Chelonoidis denticulata, Yellow-Footed Tortoise
  • Chelonoidis nigra, Galápagos Giant Tortoise

• Chersina
  • Chersina angulata, Bowsprit Tortoise

• Colossochelys
  • Colossochelys atlas, Atlas tortoise, (Extinct)

• Cylindraspis (All species Extinct) Following Austin and Arnold, 2001.<ref name=aa01>Austin, J.J., Arnold, E.N. 2001 Ancient mitochondrial DNA and morphology elucidate an extinct island radiation of Indian Ocean giant tortoises (Cylindraspis). Proceedings: Biological Sciences, Volume 268, Number 1485, Pages: 2515-2523.</ref>
  • Cylindraspis indica, synonym Cylindraspis borbonica
  • Cylindraspis inepta
  • Cylindraspis peltastes
  • Cylindraspis triserrata
  • Cylindraspis vosmaeri

• Geochelone
  • Geochelone elegans, Indian Star Tortoise
  • Geochelone platynota, Burmese Star Tortoise
  • Geochelone sulcata, African Spurred Tortoise (Sulcata Tortoise)

• †Hadrianus
  • Hadrianus corsoni (syn. H. octonarius)
  • Hadrianus robustus
  • Hadrianus schucherti
  • Hadrianus utahensis

• Homopus
  • Homopus aerolatus, Parrot-Beaked Cape Tortoise
  • Homopus boulengeri, Boulenger's Cape Tortoise
  • Homopus femoralis, Karroo Cape Tortoise
  • Homopus signatus, Speckled Cape Tortoise, Speckled Padloper
  • Homopus bergeri, Berger's Cape Tortoise, Nama padloper, synonym Homopus solus

• Indotestudo
  • Indotestudo elongata, Elongated Tortoise
  • Indotestudo forstenii, Travancore Tortoise, Forsten’s Tortoise
  • Indotestudo travancorica, Travancore Tortoise

• Kinixys
  • Kinixys belliana, Bell's Hinge-Backed Tortoise
  • Kinixys erosa, Serrated Hinge-Backed Tortoise
  • Kinixys homeana, Home's Hinge-Backed Tortoise
  • Kinixys lobatsiana, Lobatse Hingeback Tortoise
  • Kinixys natalensis, Natal Hinge-Backed Tortoise
  • Kinixys spekii, Speke's Hingeback Tortoise

• Malacochersus
  • Malacochersus tornieri, Pancake Tortoise

• Psammobates
  • Psammobates geometricus, Geometric Tortoise
  • Psammobates oculifer, Serrated Star Tortoise
  • Psammobates tentorius, African Tent Tortoise

• Pyxis
  • Pyxis arachnoides, Madagascan Spider Tortoise
  • Pyxis planicauda, Madagascan Flat-Tailed Tortoise

• Stigmochelys Gray, 1873
  • Stigmochelys pardalis, Leopard Tortoise

• Testudo
  • Testudo graeca, Greek Tortoise (Spur-Thighed Tortoise)
  • Testudo hermanni, Herman's Tortoise
  • Testudo horsfieldii, Russian Tortoise (Horsfield's Tortoise, or Central Asian Tortoise)
  • Testudo kleinmanni, Egyptian Tortoise, incl. Negev Tortoise
  • Testudo marginata, Marginated Tortoise

Subfamily Xerobatinae Agassiz, L. 1857.<ref name=agaz57>Agassiz, L. 1857. Contributions to the natural history of the United States of America. Vol. 1. Little, Brown and Co., Boston. 452p.</ref>

• Gopherus
  • Gopherus agassizii, Desert Tortoise
  • Gopherus berlandieri, Texas Tortoise
  • Gopherus flavomarginatus, Bolson Tortoise
  • Gopherus polyphemus, Gopher Tortoise
• Manouria
  • Manouria emys, Brown Tortoise (Mountain Tortoise)
  • Manouria impressa, Impressed Tortoise
• Stylemys (Genus extinct)
  • Stylemys botti
  • Stylemys calaverensis
  • Stylemys canetotiana
  • Stylemys capax
  • Stylemys conspecta
  • Stylemys copei
  • Stylemys emiliae
  • Stylemys frizaciana
  • Stylemys karakolensis
  • Stylemys nebrascensis (syn. S. amphithorax)
  • Stylemys neglectus
  • Stylemys oregonensis
  • Stylemys pygmea
  • Stylemys uintensis
  • Stylemys undabuna

[edit] In religion

In Hinduism, Kurma (Sanskrit: कुर्म) was the second avatar of Vishnu. Like the Matsya Avatara also belongs to the Satya Yuga. Vishnu took the form of a half-man half-tortoise, the lower half being a tortoise. He is normally shown as having four arms. He sat on the bottom of the ocean after the Great Flood. A mountain was placed on his back by the other gods so that they could churn the sea and find the ancient treasures of the Vedic peoples. Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as Oracle Bones to make predictions.

[edit] Cultural depictions

[edit] Gallery

Tortoise-Hatchling.jpg A baby Testudo marginata emerges from its egg	Baby tortoise.jpg A baby tortoise, less than a day old	Testudo x4.jpg Testudo graeca ibera, Testudo hermanni boettgeri, Testudo hermanni hermanni, Testudo marginata sarda	Young Sulcata Tortoise.01.jpg A young (3.5 years) Sulcata Tortoise Geochelone sulcata	Tortoise closeup.jpg A young, 20 year old Tanzanian Leopard Tortoise feeding on grass
Aldabra.giant.tortoise.arp.jpg Aldabra Giant Tortoise Geochelone gigantea	Leopards tortoise.jpg App 22 year old Leopard Tortoise	Geochelone sulcata -Oakland Zoo -feeding-8a.jpg An African Spurred Tortoise from the Oakland Zoo	Tortoise mating.jpg Pair of tortoises mate in a zoo	TurtleRideIfrog.jpg A boy rides tortoise at a zoo

[edit] See also

• Giant tortoise

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Chambers, Paul (2004). A Sheltered Life: The Unexpected History of the Giant Tortoise. London: John Murray. ISBN 0719565286. 
• Ernst, C. H.; Barbour, R. W. (1989). Turtles of the World. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution Press. 
• Gerlach, Justin (2004). Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean. Frankfurt: Chimiara. 
• Kuyl, AC; Ph Ballasina, DL; Dekker, JT; Maas, J; Willemsen, RE; Goudsmit, J; et al. (Feb 2002). "Phylogenetic Relationships among the Species of the Genus Testudo (Testudines: Testudinidae) Inferred from Mitochondrial 12S rRNA Gene Sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 22 (2): 174–183. doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.1052. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 11820839. 

[edit] External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Testudinidae

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Wikispecies has information related to: Testudinidae

• A turtles website
• The Reptile Database
• Family Testudinidae (Tortoises) of The Reptile Database
• Tortoise Protection Group: Tortoise conservation and expert advice on tortoise care.
• Chelonia: Conservation and care of turtles.
• Lot of pictures, videos and informations

v · d · eTortoise family of turtles (Testudinidae) Genus Species of the Tortoise family 175px Aldabrachelys Aldabra giant tortoise1 Astrochelys Radiated tortoise · Angonoka tortoise Chelonoidis Argentine tortoise · Brazilian giant tortoise · Chaco tortoise · Galápagos tortoise · Red-footed tortoise Chersina Bowsprit tortoise Cylindraspis† Domed Mauritius giant tortoise† · Domed Rodrigues giant tortoise† · Réunion giant tortoise† · Saddle-backed Mauritius giant tortoise† · Saddle-backed Rodrigues giant tortoise† Geochelone African spurred tortoise · Burmese star tortoise · Indian star tortoise Gopherus Bolson tortoise · Desert tortoise · Gopher tortoise · Texas tortoise Homopus Beaked cape tortoise · Berger's cape tortoise · Boulenger's cape tortoise · Karoo cape tortoise · Speckled padloper tortoise Indotestudo Elongated tortoise · Forsten's tortoise · Travancore tortoise Kinixys Bell's hinge-back tortoise · Forest hinge-back tortoise · Home's hinge-back tortoise · Lobatse hinge-back tortoise · Natal hinge-back tortoise · Speke's hinge-back tortoise Malacochersus Pancake tortoise Manouria Asian forest tortoise · Impressed tortoise Psammobates Geometric tortoise · Serrated tortoise · Tent tortoise Pyxis Flat-backed spider tortoise · Spider tortoise Stigmochelys Leopard tortoise Testudo Hermann's tortoise · Kleinmann's tortoise · Marginated tortoise · Russian tortoise · Spur-thighed tortoise Phylogenetic arrangement of turtles based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist of taxonomy, synonymy, distribution and conservation status. Key: †=extinct. 1=classification unclear

v · d · eTestudines order of turtles Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Reptilia · Subclass: Anapsida · Order: Testudines Suborder Superfamily Family Subfamily Genus 175px Cryptodira      Chelydridae   Chelydra · Macrochelys Chelonioidea Cheloniidae   Caretta · Chelonia · Eretmochelys · Lepidochelys · Natator Dermochelyidae   Dermochelys Kinosternoidea Dermatemydidae   Dermatemys Kinosternidae Kinosterninae Kinosternon · Sternotherus Staurotypinae Claudius · Staurotypus Testudinoidea Emydidae Deirochelyinae Chrysemys · Deirochelys · Graptemys · Malaclemys · Pseudemys · Trachemys Emydinae Clemmys · Emys · Glyptemys · Terrapene Geoemydidae   Batagur · Cuora · Cyclemys · Geoclemys · Geoemyda · Hardella · Heosemys · Leucocephalon · Malayemys · Mauremys · Melanochelys · Morenia · Notochelys · Orlitia · Pangshura · Rhinoclemmys · Sacalia · Siebenrockiella · Vijayachelys  Platysternidae   Platysternon Testudinidae   Aldabrachelys · Astrochelys · Chelonoidis · Chersina · Cylindraspis · Geochelone · Gopherus · Homopus · Indotestudo · Kinixys · Malacochersus · Manouria · Psammobates · Pyxis · Stigmochelys · Testudo Trionychia Carettochelyidae   Carettochelys Trionychidae Cyclanorbinae Cyclanorbis · Cycloderma · Lissemys Trionychinae Amyda · Apalone · Chitra · Dogania · Nilssonia · Palea · Pelochelys · Pelodiscus · Rafetus · Trionyx Pleurodira   Chelidae    Acanthochelys · Chelodina · Chelus · Elseya · Elusor · Emydura · Hydromedusa · Mesoclemmys · Myuchelys · Phrynops · Platemys · Pseudemydura · Rheodytes · Rhinemys Pelomedusidae   Pelomedusa · Pelusios Podocnemididae   Erymnochelys · Peltocephalus · Podocnemis Phylogenetic arrangement based on turtles of the world 2010 update: annotated checklist. Extinct turtles are not included. See also List of Testudines families 16px Portal · 16px WikiProject

br:Testudinidae

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