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The green sea turtle is the largest species in the family of cheloniidae. It gets its name from the color of its body fat. There are six species in this family. They have flattened, aerodynamic shells that allow them to “fly” through the water with excessive speed and strength. They move very awkwardly on land and cannot pull their head and neck inside their shell as manly land chelonians can. | |
| The family emydidae (pond turtles) is divided into two smaller subfamilies, the batagurinae and the emydinae. The batagurinae live in Europe, Africa, and Asia. Belonging to this family is the Indian Black turtle (right), the Spiny turtle, The Asian leaf turtle, the European pond turtle, and more. The emydinae live in areas of North, Central, and South America. This family includes, but is not limited to, the slider, the wood turtle, the ornate box turtle, and the painted turtle. |  |
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The musk turtle family, kinosternidae, lives in an area from Canada to South America. They are named after the foul-smelling sludge they produce when disturbed. This substance is used to drive away enemies. These turtles live in fresh water, and have webbed toes. Their legs have been adapted to crawl along the bottom of swamps, marshes, and rivers. The plastron may have one or two hinges. |
| All turtles have a bottom shell, or plastron, and a top shell, or carapace. The plastron of this florida box turtle is prominently displayed, due to the fact that the turtle is lying on its back. The plastron may have hinges, like this one does. These are to close the shell once the head and other appendages are inside. The plastron is connected to the carapace on either side of the turtle. | |
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Softshell turtles are named after their soft, leathery shell, and also have a bony shell underneath. The bones are semi-hollow to help the turtle stay afloat. Their shell is flat to allow them to hide in mud and sand as they wait for their prey. |
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