Tortoise

From Free net encyclopedia

For other uses, see Tortoise (disambiguation).

{{Taxobox | color = pink | name = Tortoises | image = tortoise.aldabra.750pix.jpg | image_width = 250px | image_caption = Aldabra Giant Tortoise
(Geochelone gigantea)
from Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles. | regnum = Animalia | phylum = Chordata | classis = Reptilia | ordo = Testudines | subordo = Cryptodira | superfamilia = Testudinoidea | familia = Testudinidae | subdivision_ranks = Genera | subdivision = Chersina
Dipsochelys
Furculachelys
Geochelone
Gopherus
Homopus
Indotestudo
Kinixys
Malacochersus
Manouria
Psammobates
Pyxis
Testudo }} A tortoise is a land-dwelling reptile of the order Testudines.

Contents 1 Description 2 Partial species list 3 Gallery 4 Further reading 5 See also 6 External links

Description

As with its aquatic cousins, the turtle and the terrapin, the tortoise is shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise has both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. Tortoises can vary in size from a few centimetres to two meters.

Tortoises generally have a lifespan comparable with that of human beings and parakeets, and some individuals are known to have lived longer than 150 years. Because of this, they symbolize longevity in some cultures, such as China. The oldest tortoise ever recorded, indeed the oldest individual animal ever recorded, was Tui Malila, who was presented to the Tongan royal family by the British explorer Captain Cook, in either 1773 or 1777 (the exact date is not known). Tui Malila remained in the care of the Tongan royal family until its death by natural causes on May 19, 1965. This means that upon its death, Tui Malila was at least either 188 or 192 years old, but either figure gains it the title of oldest Cheloniinae (tortoise or turtle) ever recorded.

Another tortoise has laid claim to be the oldest creature ever: The Alipore zoo in India was the home to Adwaitya, which zoo officals claimed was the oldest living creature until its death on Thursday, March 23, 2006. Adwaitya (sometimes spelled with two d's) was an Aldabra giant tortoise which was brought to India by Lord Wellesley who handed it over to the Alipur Zoological Gardens in 1875 when the zoo was set up. It has been there ever since. Zoo officials state they have documentation showing that Adwaitya was at least 130 years old, but claim that he was over 250 years old (although this has not been scientifically verified). Addwaitya was said to be the pet of Robert Clive 1.

The giant tortoises of the Galápagos Islands helped Charles Darwin formulate his theory of evolution, since the isolated populations on the different islands, although descended from a common ancestor, had diverged to different forms. Harriet, still alive and living in an Australian zoo, was apocryphally thought to have been brought to England by Charles Darwin aboard the Beagle. Harriet was 175 years old as of November, 2005.

Most land tortoises are herbivorous in the wild.

The first turtles already existed in the era of the dinosaurs, some 300 million years ago. Turtles and tortoises are the only surviving branch of the even more ancient clade Anapsida, which includes groups such as the procolophonoids, millerettids and pareiasaurs. Most of the anapsids became extinct in the late Permian period, with the exception of the procolophonoids and the precursors of the testudines (turtles and tortoises).

The Oxford English Dictionary uses "tortoise" as historically interchangeable with "turtle" and references can still be found, for example, to the "loggerhead tortoise."

Partial species list

• Genus Chersina
  • Bowsprit Tortoise, Chersina angulata
• Genus Dipsochelys
  • Dipsochelys abrupta Extinct
  • Arnold's Giant Tortoise, Dipsochelys arnoldi Extinct in the wild
  • Dipsochelys daudinii Extinct
  • Aldabra Giant Tortoise, Dipsochelys dussumieri Conservation status: Vulnerable
  • Dipsochelys grandidieri Extinct
  • Seychelles Giant Tortoise, Dipsochelys hololissa Extinct in the wild
• Genus Furculachelys
  • Tunisian Spur-thigh Tortoise, Furculachelys nabeulensis
• Genus Geochelone
  • Red-Footed Tortoise, Geochelone carbonaria
  • Chaco Tortoise, Geochelone chilensis Conservation status: Vulnerable
  • Yellow-Footed Tortoise, Geochelone denticulata Conservation status: Vulnerable
  • Indian Star Tortoise, Geochelone elegans
  • Galápagos Giant Tortoise, Geochelone nigra Conservation status: Vulnerable
  • Leopard Tortoise, Geochelone pardalis
  • Burmese Star Tortoise, Geochelone platynota Conservation status: Critical
  • Radiated Tortoise, Geochelone radiata Conservation status: Vulnerable
  • African Spurred Tortoise (Sulcata Tortoise), Geochelone sulcata
  • Angulated Tortoise, Geochelone yniphora Conservation status: Endangered
• Genus Gopherus
  • Desert Tortoise, Gopherus agassizii Vulnerable
  • Texas Tortoise, Gopherus berlandieri
  • Bolson Tortoise, Gopherus flavomarginatus Vulnerable
  • Gopher Tortoise, Gopherus polyphemus Vulnerable
• Genus Homopus
  • Parrot-Beaked Cape Tortoise, Homopus aerolatus
  • Boulenger's Cape Tortoise, Homopus boulengeri
  • Karroo Cape Tortoise, Homopus femoralis
  • Speckled Cape Tortoise, Homopus signatus Conservation status: Lower risk
  • Berger's Cape Tortoise, Homopus bergeri Vulnerable
• Genus Indotestudo
  • Elongated Tortoise, Indotestudo elongata Conservation status: Endangered
  • Travancore Tortoise, Indotestudo forsteni Conservation status: Endangered
• Genus Kimixys
  • Bell's Hinge-Backed Tortoise, Kinixys belliana
  • Serrated Hinge-Backed Tortoise, Kinixys erosa Conservation status: Data deficient
  • Home's Hinge-Backed Tortoise, Kinixys homeana Conservation status: Data deficient
  • Natal Hinge-Backed Tortoise, Kinixys natalensis Conservation status: Lower risk
  • Kinixys spekii
• Genus Malacochersus
  • Pancake Tortoise, Malacochersus tornieri Vulnerable
• Genus Manouria
  • Brown Tortoise / Mountain Tortoise, Manouria emys Conservation status: Endangered
  • Impressed Tortoise, Manouria impressa Vulnerable
• Genus Psammobates
  • Geometric Tortoise, Psammobates geometricus Conservation status: Endangered
  • Serrated Star Tortoise, Psammobates oculiferus
  • African Tent Tortoise, Psammobates tentorius
• Genus Pyxis
  • Madagascan Spider Tortoise, Pyxis arachnoides Vulnerable
  • Madagascan Flat-Tailed Tortoise, Pyxis planicauda Endangered
• Genus Testudo
  • Greek Tortoise, Spur-Thighed Tortoise, Testudo graeca Vulnerable
  • Herman's Tortoise, Testudo hermanni Conservation status: Lower risk
  • Russian Tortoise, Horsfield's Tortoise, Testudo horsfieldii Vulnerable
  • Egyptian Tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni Conservation status: Critical
  • Negev Tortoise, Testudo werneri Conservation status: Critical
  • Marginated Tortoise, Testudo marginata
  • Jabuti, Testudo tabulata

Gallery

A baby Testudo marginata emerges from its shell	Testudo marginata	Testudo horsfieldii	Testudo graeca ibera,Testudo hermanni boettgeri,Testudo hermanni hermanni,Testudo marginata sarda
Testudo hermanni boettgeri	A young (3.5 years) Sulcata Tortoise Geochelone sulcata	Aldabra Giant Tortoise Geochelone gigantea from Aldabra atoll in the Seychelles	Testudo graeca ibera
Aldabra Giant Tortose Geochelone gigantea

Further reading

• Chambers, Paul. A Sheltered Life: The Unexpected History of the Giant Tortoise. John Murray (Publishers), London. 2004. ISBN 0719565286.
• Gerlach, Justin. Giant Tortoises of the Indian Ocean. Chimiara publishers, Frankfurt. 2004

See also

• Turtles and tortoises in popular culture

External links

Template:Commons

• Internationale Schildkröten Vereinigung
• Gulf Coast Turtle and Tortoise Societyde:Landschildkröten

eo:Testudo fr:Testudinidae ja:リクガメ lb:Landdeckelsmouken nl:Landschildpadden os:Уæртджын хæфс pl:Żółwie lądowe pt:Testudinidae