Posts Tagged With: turtles

Flat as a Pancake!

Since it was World Turtle Day yesterday, we decided to meet a one today! These flatties live in the deserts of Africa! So let’s find the pancake tortoise!

MEET THE PANCAKE TORTOISE!

   Range/Habitat: E Africa (Tanzania/Kenya)/rocky outcrops and savannas

   Diet: Herbivore: grasses, leaves, fruit

   Length/Weight: 5 ½”-7”/ 1 lb

   Conservation Status: Vulnerable

Fun Facts:

• Pancake tortoises live in East Africa in rocky outcrops and savannas.
• They are herbivores. They eat grasses, leaves and fruit.
• Pancake tortoises can grow up to 7″ long and weigh up to 1 lb.
• They are listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN.

• Pancake Tortoises have flat carapaces (top shell) that are flexible. This is a very unusual adaptation.
• Pancake tortoises can squeeze into narrow crevices. This helps protect them from predators.
• They don’t move to far from their shelter.

• They live in small colonies and share their shelters.
• They can live up to 25 years old.
• Pancake tortoises are crepuscular (most active at dusk and dawn).

Pancake tortoises are really neat little tortoises with their flat shells and ability to climb. And they have pancake in their name and who doesn’t love pancakes!

HAPPY WORLD TURTLE DAY!!!

It’s World Turtle Day and we’re celebrating our shelled reptile friends with fun facts and photos! Tell us what you love about turtles and tortoises! Check out our coloring sheet after all the fun facts and pictures!

• Turtles have been on the earth for about 200 million years.
• Box turtles can live to be over a 100 years old.
• Turtles live on every continent except Antarctica.

• There are seven species of sea turtles. The Leatherback is the largest.
• The top shell is called the carapace and the bottom shell is the called the plastron.

• Turtles and tortoises are attached to their shells.
• The shells are part of their skeleton.

• The coverings on the top shell are called scutes.
• Scutes are made up of keratin, the same protein that makes up human hair and nails.

• Turtles don’t have ears.
• There are about 250 species of turtles.

• Some sea turtles can dive as deep as 3,000 feet.
• Turtles are reptiles.

• Hatchlings have a special tooth that they use to crack open their eggs.

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 71

We’re going to sure the pond in our neighborhood for today’s adventure. Let’s grab some snacks for a picnic and head out to meet today’s reptile friend!  

MEET THE RED EARED SLIDER!

   Range/Habitat: Southern United States-Mexico/wetlands, ponds,

   rivers

   Diet: Omnivore: fish, tadpoles, plants

   Length: 8-13”

   Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

•          Red eared sliders have red dashes around their ears.
•          They bask in the sun during the day.
•          Red eared sliders don’t have saliva and must eat their food under water.
•          Red eared sliders have claws on their front feet.
•          They brumate (become less active and hang out on the bottom of rivers/ponds during the fall and winter).

Red eared sliders are so cute. They are very popular pet to have too. Remember, if you do decide a pet turtle is for you; get them from a breeder and not from the wild. And as always do your homework, because all pets have specialized needs.

REPTILIAN TUESDAY # 59

We’re going exploring in the US today for an aquatic reptile with a bite! Let’s grab our wellies and your night vision goggles and let’s go exploring near a pond and see if we can find today’s animal!

MEET THE COMMON SNAPPING TURTLE!

   Range/Habitat: South Canada-USA-Mexico/ ponds, lakes & streams

   Diet: Omnivore: fish, frogs, aquatic plants

   Length/Weight: 10-20”/9.5-35 lbs

   Conservation Status: common

Fun Facts:

• Common Snapping Turtles carapaces (top shell) vary in color, from brown to green.
• They have long tails.
• Common snapping turtles are nocturnal.
• Common snapping turtles spend most of their lives in water.
• They have webbed feet.
• Common snapping turtles hibernate in cold weather.
• Female common snapping turtles lay a clutch of eggs and the sex of the babies is determined by the temperature of the nest.

Common snapping turtles are such amazing creatures. Those snapping beaks are definitely built for eating! We’ll stay away those!