Tortoise Facts
Did you know the fact that the tortoise are known to live for more than 150 years?! Tortoise is in fact a common name for the terrestrial turle. The longest living tortoise ever recorded was Tu'i Malila, who lived for 188 years. It was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook shortly after its birth in 1977 and the tortoise died on May 19, 1965, thus surviving for 188 years. Their clutch size varies alot. It can be anywhere from one to thirty eggs. Galapagos tortoises may reach a length of over 4 ft (120 cm) and weigh over 500 lb (225 kg). The Galapagos tortoise was named after the Galapagos islands. Most tortoises belong to the genus Testudo. The tortoise carapace, or top part of its shell, is dome shaped and higher than a turtle or terrapin carapace, which is flatter and better for swimming. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimeters to two meters. They are also known as land turtles. Female tortoises dig burrows to lay their eggs in. After 3-4 months, the hatchlings break the eggshells open with their beaks and dig their way up to the surface. Once on the ground they move into their mother’s burrow and she protects them for another two months or so. This is different to turtle hatchlings who head for the water and fend for themselves as soon as they break out of their eggs. They are unable to swim or float in water while tutles can swim and even float in water. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. Most of them are herbivorous i.e they eat grasses, weeds, leafy greens, flowers, and certain fruits but some eat insects also. The desert and gopher tortoises reach a length of 13 in. (33 cm), while the Texas tortoise is about 8 1/2 in. (21.6 cm) long. Tortoise carapaces come in many different colours and patterns. The Star tortoise has a dark brown or black background and light brown or yellow lines fanning outwards in a star-like shape. The Leopard tortoise is very distinctive. It has cream to yellow skin and its carapace has black blotches, dashes or stripes on a cream to yellow background. They are shielded from predators by a shell. Female tortoise lays 2-12 eggs. Their growth depends on the availability of food and water. Sex of tortoise is determined by looking at their tail. Females 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. Giant tortoises move very slow on dry land. They move at only 0.17 miles per hour onland. These animals are herbivores. Tortoise shells were used by ancient Chinese as Oracle Bones to make predictions. The top part of their shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. |
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