TURTLES AND TORTOISES

Turtles are in the order Testudines, which are characterized by a hard bony shell. There are two parts to the shell, the carapace (top), and the plastron (bottom).

              Carapace                                      Plastron

Turtles and Tortoises are Ectothermic (all reptiles are), which means they must use an outside source to regulate their body temperature, such as basking in the sun. Once a desirable body temperature is reached the animal goes about hunting for food, and or looking for a mate.

There are several differences between turtles and tortoises; tortoises are strictly herbivores where turtles require some form of meat protein in their diet, such as crickets, earthworms, fish, shrimp, etc. Another difference is turtles have to be in and or around water, where tortoises do not. Tortoises get most of the moisture they require from the food they eat.