turtle

Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines that have bodies encased in bony shells. There are more than 350 species of turtles.

A turtle’s shell is made of bone and cartilage. It consists of a top, which is called a carapace, and a bottom, which is called a plastron. The carapace and the plastron usually join along the sides of the body, creating a rigid skeletal box.

There are more than 350 species of turtles living on land—on all continents on Earth except Antarctica—and in both salt water and fresh water. The greatest number of species occur in southeastern North America and in South Asia.

Turtles eat a wide range of foods. Many turtles are omnivorous. Some turtles eat jellyfish and salps. Tortoises, which are a type of turtle, are predominantly herbivores, but some will consume invertebrates and carrion. Other turtles consume waterside vegetation. Some turtles even crush shells of mollusks in order to obtain the meat.

The hatching of a turtle consists of two separate events: exiting the egg and emerging from the nest. Hatchlings use a pointed keratinous bump, called a caruncle, on the tip of their snout to break the inner surface of the eggshell. They then tear a larger opening and climb out. To emerge from the nest, hatchlings dig upward, most often together, through the material covering the nest.

All tortoises are turtles, but not all turtles are tortoises. Unlike turtles, tortoises are exclusively land creatures, and tortoises also have unique anatomical features. Learn more.