Turtles

__** Types of Turtles **__ - Chicken Turtle -Painted Turtle -Graptemys -Trachemys -The pig nose turtle -Leatherback turtle of turtles. ** ** __Number of species__ ** There are about 250 species of turtles alive on earth today. Seven of the turtles species live in oceans and they are called __Sea turtles__.
 * [[image:Hiding%20Turtle.gif]]Turtles **
 * - Theres hundreds of speices

__**Size of Turtles**__ Turles may vary in size of the species. Sea turtles are the largest of them all. The leather back turtle can be over 6 feet long and weight over 1,500 pounds. The smallest turtle is freshwater turtles. They can easily fit in the palm of your hand. Most turtles can pull their head and legs into their shells for protection. Snapping turtles, tortoises(which is also called land turtle), and sea turltes cannot do that. What they rely on is their powerfull snapping jaws. __** Where you can find turtles **__ Not including Antarctica, turtles can be found in every continent. They can live in variety of habitats, of course sea turtles live in the sea, while others live in ponds, rivers or even the hottest deserts in the world. **__Eggs__** Depending on the species the female turtle can lay 50 to 200(ping pong shape) eggs. Shes lays them on land. After she layed them she covers them up with sand using her back flippers. Where ever she laid her eggs that is called a __nesting spot.__ A female lay between one to nine groups of groups per season.

**__ What turtles eat __** What do all the species of turtles have in common? They all eat veggies. Hawkbill sea turtles eat sponges, jellyfish, sea urchins, mollusks, crustaceans, tunicates, shrimps, and squids. Hawksbill turtles will also feed on dead marine animals, grasses, other plants from the bottom of the ocean, and grass beds at different part of the ocean. Painted turtles eat insects, kids of plants, tadoles, small fish and duckweed(pond plant). Usally a turtle lives longer if it is in the wild or left along not in captivity. Painted - 40 years Leatherbacks - unknown Box turtle - 100 years Red-Ear Slider- 40 years Large Galapagos - 200 years Water turtles - 40-60 years **__Predator and Prey__** **__Turtles predators include:__** -Crows -Mink -Raccons -Otters -Fish(pike & bass) -Frogs -Snakes -Larger turtles -Wading birds(heron) -Skunks Even Humans. Like fisherman hook them, they are shot while basking, or even getting crushed by drivers. Ants, maggots, and molds can attack turtle eggs.
 * __ Lifespan __**

__**Prey:**__ Animal matter such as tadpoles, frogs, small fish, insects, crayfish, shrimp, amphipods, mollusks(mostly snails). And plant matter like blue-green and green algae, leaves, duckweed, emergent herbaceous plants, stems, roots, fruits, seeds of vascular plants.

__** Kingdom **__ Kingdom: Animalia Class: Sauropsida Order: Chelonia Family: Cheloniidae Genus: Chelonia Speices: Mydas Sub-Speices: Aggazizi Sea Turtles are fully protected by the Endangered Species Act(ESA) and under Hawaii state of law. These laws prohibit hunting, injuring, or harassing sea turtles or holding them in captivity without having a speical permit for educational purposes.
 * __ Federal Protection __**

__**Interesting Facts**__ Turtles have been on earth more than 200 million years.They been alived before birds, crocodiles, mammals, and even lizards. Many species of turtles can live to be over a hundred years. Turtles can range in the size of a 4 inch to a 1,500 pound leatherback turtle. The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 bones connected together. Turtles are one of the oldest groups of reptiles. They have good eyesight and sense of smell. Most turtles have five toes, but Box Turtles have three or four toes. Some turtles can absorb oxygen through skin and neck.

1.) [|Http://www.Cdli.cal/CITE/st_tur&tor.htm] 2.) [|Http://www.Geocities.com/Heartland/Prairie/1454/info.htlm] 3.) [|Http://www.Drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=8288] 4.) [|Http://www.earthtrust.org/wlcurric/turtles.html] 5.) [|Http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=17+1797&aid=1492]