Turtles

            The earliest known turtle lived two hundred million years ago. They were thought to have existed in the early Triassic period in the Mesozoic era. All turtles belong to the class reptiles. All turtles either belong to the orders chelonia or testudines. All turtles belong to the families cheloniidae, dermochelyidae, or emydidae. There are 250 species of turtles. There are seven species of sea turtles. Sixth sevenths of the species of sea turtles belong to the order chelonia. One seventh of the species of sea turtles belong to the order dermochelyidae.
Turtle Habitat
Turtles live just about everywhere but the Arctic. You can find turtles in Asia, North America, Africa, Australia, and South America.
Turtle diet
Some things turtles eat are jellyfish, clams, mussels, and plants.
Turtle’s endangered status
Some species of turtles are endangered.
Turtle’s appearance and anatomy
Turtles have a hard shell, fins, beak, and are cold blooded. Some turtles can also pull their neck into their shells. The top part of the shell is called a carapace. The bottom part of the shell is called a plastron. Turtles have no teeth whatsoever. Turtles are cousins of the tortoise. Turtles store water in specialized bladders.
Turtle differences
            Pond turtles have small, webbed, flat feet. Pond turtles can fold their necks into an “S” shape, sea turtles can’t. Sea turtles have large, broad flippers. Sea turtles are usually bigger than freshwater turtles. Sea turtles are highly sensitive to magnetic fields and can use it to navigate. Sea turtles also lay their eggs in sandy beaches and are endangered because of overhunting and development.
Sea Turtle Species
Flatback Turtle
            The Flatback Turtle is only found in the waters near Australia and Papua, New Guinea. It is listed as critically endangered.
Hawksbill Turtle
The Hawksbill Turtle can grow from 2-3 feet in length and can weigh from 100-150 pounds when fully grown. It is listed as critically endangered.

Bibliography: “Turtles”, http://www.school.eb.com/copmtons/article/9277471?query=sea%turtle&ct= , Encyclopedia Britannica, 2010
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