Snapping Turtles Are Large Aquatic Freshwater Reptiles

Snapping turtles are large aquatic freshwater reptiles that only live in North America. There are only two species of snapping turtle that still exist, which are the Common Snapping Turtle and the Alligator Snapping Turtle. The Common Snapping Turtle tends to live at higher latitudes than the Alligator.

Snapping turtles enjoy a wide variety of food and are often considered the top predator in their environment. The alligator snapping turtle's diet consists mainly of fish, which they lure using a pink worm-like appendage on the end of their tongue. Common snapping turtles are more active hunters and will eat just about anything.

Snapping turtles do not make good pets, usually, as they will never stop growing. The largest snapping turtles on record have weight records of around 600 lbs. Alligator snapping turtles have been known to grow even larger.

The Snapping turtle's main defence mechanism is their powerful snapping jaws, which enable them to make short work of attackers and small prey. They also have monstrous, thick claws on their front and back legs which they use to tear apart food and to climb hills each year where they lay their eggs (in a similar way to sea turtles).

The alligator snapping turtle is the largest freshwater turtle in North America, where it is generally found in the more southern waters of the United States. The smaller and more aggressive common snapping turtle inhabits lakes and streams from South America to Canada.

Snapping turtles spend nearly all of their lives in water, with typically only nesting females actually venturing onto open land. Snapping turtles can remain submerged underwater for up to three hours at a time.

Alligator snapping turtles and common snapping turtles have a very different looking appearances. The alligator snapping turtle has a long head and almost spiky shell, where the common snapping turtle has a more rounded head and a smoother shell. They are also easily distinguished by size as the common snapping turtle is smaller than the alligator snapping turtle.

Snapping turtle mating takes place once a year generally in the spring time. The female snapping turtle can lay anywhere from 10 to 50 eggs which take 3 or 4 months to hatch. It is thought that snapping turtles are capable of living until they are 150 years old but they typically live until they are between 20 and 50 years old in captivity.

Common Snapping Turtle Adaptations
A chief adaptation of the common snapping turtle is its long and flexible neck. These animals can stretch their necks almost over halfway of the back of its shell and snap its prey with its strong jaws.The beak –like jaws with sharp cutting edges enable it to tear its prey easily.
It is noteworthy how its nostrils are located high above the snout. An excellent adaptation that allows the turtle to breathe even when it is halfway submerged in water.These turtles can tolerate temperatures from 49 – 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Common snappers are not able to retain their body moisture as in the case of other turtles.

Common Snapping Turtle As Pets
If you are thinking of keeping the common snapping turtle as a pet, think twice! As cute as they appear to look when young, they can get equally difficult to handle as they grow, owing to their aggressive nature. So come to think of it, the common snappers are not suitable for the definition of an ideal pet.The flexibility of its neck allows these turtles to bite its handler even when picked by the sides of its shells. Moreover, its jaws are so powerful that it can easily amputate the handler’s finger!

Furthermore, those who furnish the idea that these turtles can be safely picked by the tail are absolutely wrong. Picking them by their tail not only injures the poor animal’s tail but also its vertebral column.
One handling the turtle with hands must also note that these animals also have sharp claws that can cause serious wounds.If confronted with a scenario wherein one will have to rescue the common snapping turtle, it is always recommended to use a stick, allowing it to bite on it and drag it to a safer spot.

Indian Star Tortoise-The Natural Habitats And Life

The Indian star tortoise is a medium sized species of tortoise found in the dry and arid forests of both Indian and Sri Lanka. The Indian star tortoise is named for the star-like patterns on it's high-domed shell which are distinctive to both species of star tortoise (the other being the critically endangered Burmese star tortoise, found in the deciduous forests of Burma).

As it's name suggests the Indian star tortoise is found across the Indian sub-continent, more specifically, the Indian star tortoise is found in the central and Southern parts of India, in West Pakistan and in Sri Lanka. The Indian star tortoise is most commonly found in semi-arid scrub forest, along with thorny and grassland habitats, where there is plenty of vegetation both to hide in and munch on.

Due to the very distinctively marked, and highly rounded shell of the Indian star tortoise, this species of tortoise has become a popular pet in the world's exotic pet trade. Indian star tortoises are of a medium size, with the average adult rarely growing to more than 30 cm in length. The protective shell of the Indian star tortoise also acts in the same to the shells of other tortoise species, allowing the Indian star tortoise to draw it's vulnerable head and limbs into it's shell for protection.

The attractive star-like patterns on the shell of the Indian star tortoise actually help the tortoise to blend into it's surroundings more easily, as well as looking very pretty. The distinctively marked shell of the Indian star tortoise, actually breaks up the hard line of it's shell when it is grazing, making this reptile not so obvious to passing predators.

Like many other species of tortoise around the world, the Indian star tortoise is a herbivorous animal that has a purely vegetarian diet. The Indian star tortoise browses in the dry forests of the Indian sub-continent in search of a wide variety of plant life from leaves, to fruits and berries and numerous different species of flower that are found growing in such arid environments.

Despite it's hard and protective outer shell, the Indian star tortoise is successfully preyed upon by a number of other animals in their native habitats. Large birds of prey and other reptiles such as snakes are the most common predators of the Indian star tortoise along with humans that have both hunted the tortoise for food, as well capturing them for the exotic pet trade and moving in on their native habitats.

The Indian star tortoise begins its mating season with the coming of the monsoon, so the exact time is dependent on the area in which the individual lives. Female Indian star tortoise lay an average of 7 eggs per clutch although, this can be as many as 10. The Indian star tortoise is known to be difficult to be breed in captivity and so should only be attempted by experience breeders.

Today, the Indian star tortoise has been listed as Least concern which means that allow this species is not under immediate threat from extinction, population numbers are falling across much of the Indian star tortoise's native range thanks to habitat loss and the introduction of other predators to their natural habitats.

Amusing Facts About The Sulcata Tortoise

Have you just bought yourself a cute baby sulcata tortoise and wondering what should be an ideal sulcata tortoise diet? Well, sulcata tortoise dwells in a hot arid regions and so has unique dietary requirements. Hence, scroll down to know which foods you can incorporate in your sulcata tortoise diet to satiate your adorable pet's dietary requirements.

African spurred tortoise, also called the sulcata tortoises, is from hot, dry scrubland regions of Sub-Sahara in the large swath across North-Central Africa. It inhabits in semi-arid environment and can not survive in damp, wet or cold conditions. In wild, African sulcata tortoise survive the intolerable heat and drought by making deep burrows and going underground for months. The burrows are cooler and provide sufficient humidity to prevent the tortoise from dehydrating during this extended heat period. More on desert tortoise.


Sulcata Tortoise Physical Characteristics

Sulcata tortoise grow fast and very large, up to two and a half feet long and 80 - 110 pounds or more. In fact, only the giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands and Seychelles have surpassed sulcata tortoise in size. Its carapace (top shell) is sandy-ivory or golden yellow-brown in color and each scute (the external plate or scale of the shell) is outlined by brown growth rings. The plastron (bottom shell) of sulcata tortoise is light tan to yellow in color with no markings and has thick skin with dull, spine-like projections on the legs. As young, sulcata totorise can be handled gently but as it is juvenile and adult, this tortoise gets too huge and is difficult to handle. Hence, it is best suited for the outdoors but can also be kept in vivarium or dry aquarium.

Sulcata Tortoise Diet
Sulcata tortoise has a voracious appetite and so providing it a proper diet is essential for its health. It mainly requires a diet which is high in fiber and calcium and low in fat and protein. Sulcata tortoise is a strict vegetarian and in wild just like cows and sheep, it gazes dry, fibrous grasses and hays, as well as occasional fruits and blossoms. However in captivity, a baby sulcata tortoise diet may include dark, leafy greens such as collards, mustard, romaine, and red leaf lettuce.

Carrot tops, beet greens, spinach, beet greens, carrot tops, kale, broccoli, and especially rhubarb, contain high amounts of oxalates which bind calcium and so should be given in limited quantities. Also too much of calcium, phosphorus or even proteins can cause malformations of the shell, extremely fast growth rate, diarrhea, and other problems. Besides the above mentioned diet items, timothy hay, alfalfa, and other feed store grasses can also be given to an adult sulcata tortoise. Fruits like strawberries, bananas, melon, berries, and apples can be given but as treats in moderation. Sulcata tortoise is not used to a sugary diet, but the occasional banana, fig, or apple will do no harm. The key to sulcata tortoise nutrition is variety, hence keep in mind that in moderation, no single food will be detrimental to its health.

Sea Turtle Depends On It's Particular Species

Sea turtles are found in all of the major oceans and smaller seas with the exception of the Arctic Circle as it is generally too cold for sea turtles as they tend to prefer more temperate waters. The bigger species of sea turtle are found more in the Southern Hemisphere in the tropical, warmer waters.

There are 7 known species of sea turtle today including the flatback sea turtle which is native to Australia; the green sea turtle which is found all over the world but there are larger populations of the green sea turtle in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans; the hawksbill turtle is a critically endangered species of sea turtle and can be found all over the world; the kemps ridley turtle is the rarest species of sea turtle in the world and is found in the Atlantic ocean and in the Gulf of Mexico; the leatherback sea turtle is the largest species of sea turtle and is the most widely distributed species of sea turtle, found all over the world; the loggerhead sea turtle is known for it's large head and is mainly found in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans; the olive ridley sea turtle is the smallest species of sea turtle and is generally found in the Indo-Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

Although sea turtles spend their time out at sea, sea turtles always go back to the same beach to breed and often travel huge distances to get there. The female sea turtles bury their eggs in the sand on the beach where they were born. After laying her eggs the female sea turtle will return to the sea, leaving her eggs to hatch in their nest under the sand. When the baby sea turtles hatch, they walk straight into the ocean and begin their life at sea.

Today, all of the 7 different species of sea turtle are under threat from extinction. The decline in the world's sea turtle population is thought to be mainly due to the sea turtles being caught accidentally by large fishing boats and due to the fact that humans will often take the eggs of the sea turtle to eat as a delicacy. Numerous conversation projects are underway all over the world in order to try to protect and preserve the sea turtle populations that remain.

The diet of the sea turtle depends on it's particular species. Some species of sea turtle are carnivorous, others are herbivores and some species of sea turtle will eat almost anything. Sea turtles tend to eat sea grasses, shrimp, crabs, fish and jellyfish, depending on what the sea turtle can find and catch.
Sea turtles have the remarkable ability to travel hundreds (in some cases thousands) of miles in order to get between their feeding grounds and their nesting grounds. Most female sea turtles return to the same beach to nest every time and will often emerge from the water just meters away from from where they nested the time before.

Sea turtles will often be able to breed for around 30 years with some species of sea turtle not being able to do so until they are 50 years old. Adult sea turtle have few natural predators besides large sharks and being caught up in human fishing nets meaning that they can live to more than 80 years old. Around 90% of baby sea turtles are eaten by smaller predators like raccoons, sea birds and large fish.

Male and female sea turtles tend to be around the same size. Adult sea turtles vary a great deal in size depending on the species of sea turtle with the smallest sea turtles measuring around 50 cm and largest are nearly 2 m.