Redgate Farm Animal Sanctuary
Terrapins
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Two of the Sanctuarys more unusual residents.

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Some interesting facts about turtles and tortoises:

  • Turtles have been on the earth for more than 200 million years. They evolved before mammals, birds, crocodiles, snakes, and even lizards.
  • The earliest turtles had teeth and could not retract their heads, but other than this, modern turtles are very similar to their original ancestors.
  • Several species of turtles can live to be over a hundred years of age including the American Box Turtle.
  • One documented case of longevity involves an adult Indian Ocean Giant Tortoise that when captured as an adult was estimated to be fifty years old. It then lived another 152 years in captivity.
  • Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica
  • Turtles will live in almost any climate warm enough to allow them to complete their breeding cycle
  • While most turtles do not tolerate the cold well, the Blanding's turtle has been observed swimming under the ice in the Great Lakes region
  • Turtles range in size from the 4-inch Bog Turtle to the 1500-pound Leathery Turtle
  • North America contains a large variety of turtle species, but Europe contains only two species of turtle and three species of tortoise
  • The top domed part of a turtle's shell is called the carapace and the bottom underlying part is called the plastron
  • The shell of a turtle is made up of 60 different bones all connected together
  • The bony portion of the shell is covered with plates (scutes) that are derivatives of skin and offer additional strength and protection
  • Most land tortoises have high domed carapaces that offer protection from the snapping jaws of terrestrial predators. Aquatic turtles tend to have flatter more aerodynamically shaped shells. An exception to the dome-shaped tortoise shell is the Pancake Tortoise of East Africa that will wedge itself between narrow rocks when threatened and then inflates itself with air making extraction nearly impossible
  • Most turtle species have five toes on each limb with a few exceptions including the American Box Turtle of the carolina species that only has four toes, and in some cases, only three
  • Turtles have good eyesight and an excellent sense of smell. Hearing and sense of touch are both good and even the shell contains nerve endings
  • Some aquatic turtles can absorb oxygen through the skin on their neck and cloacal areas allowing them to remain submerged underwater for extended periods of time and enabling them to hibernate underwater
  • Turtles are one of the oldest and most primitive groups of reptiles and have outlived many other species. One can only wonder if their unique shell is responsible for their success

Turtle, Tortoise, and Terrapin: What’s the Difference?
All turtles, tortoises, and terrapins are reptiles. Scientists often refer to them as chelonians, because they are in the taxonomic order called Chelonia (from the Greek word for tortoise). They all have scales, lay eggs, and are ectothermic. So why the different names? Those common names usually refer to differences in where the species live and how they use their habitat. But the names are also used differently in other parts of the world. For instance, in Australia only sea turtles are called turtles–everything else is called a tortoise! But here are some generally accepted differences between the types of chelonians.

Turtle— Spends most of its life in the water. Turtles tend to have webbed feet for swimming. Sea turtles (Cheloniidae family) are especially adapted for an aquatic life, with long feet that form flippers and a streamlined body shape. They rarely leave the ocean, except when the females come ashore to lay their eggs. Other turtles live in fresh water, like ponds and lakes. They swim, but they also climb out onto banks, logs, or rocks to bask in the sun. In cold weather, they may burrow into the mud, where they go into torpor until spring brings warm weather again.

Tortoise— A land-dweller that eats low-growing shrubs, grasses, and even cactus. Tortoises do not have webbed feet. Their feet are round and stumpy for walking on land. Tortoises that live in hot, dry habitats use their strong legs to dig burrows. Then, when it’s too hot in the sun, they slip underground.

Terrapin— Spends its time both on land and in water, but it always lives near water, along rivers, ponds, and lakes. Terrapins are often found in brackish, swampy areas. The word terrapin comes from an Indian word meaning "a little turtle.”