Land and Freshwater turtles

By: Kendall King and Joshua Wallace

Habitats

• ponds• lakes• rivers• marshes• warm temperature • precipitation depends

on weather• live everywhere

except Antarctica

Map of where they live.

• Symbiosis is a relationship two animals have

• It happens over a period of time

• Here is an example of commensalism

• Commensalism is where one animal is helped

• The other isn’t helped or hurt

The Gopher Tortoise and Invertebrates

• The gopher turtle and invertebrates are examples of symbiosis

• The gopher tortoise digs a hole in the ground

• Invertebrates inhabit the hole and so does the tortoise

• The invertebrates are helped because they get shelter

• The tortoise doesn’t care because it isn’t effected, or helped

• This an example of commensalism

Invertebrates

The gopher tortoise

Food Web

Producers ConsumersDecomposers

•Flowering plants

•Grass

•Snakes

•Skunks

•Birds

•Opossums

•Dogs

•Raccoons

• Turtles

•Snails

•Worms

Structural Adaptation

• shell

keeps them alive• beak

catch prey

Beak and shell.

Behavioral Adaptation

• hibernate in rotting vegetables

hide from predators

• crepuscular

awake at dawn and dusk

Turtle hiding from predators.

Average age of different species of turtles

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

Box Turtles

Tortoise

Mud Turtle

Age

Species

General facts and knowledge

• Eggs are the size of ping-pong balls

• Use their neck to get up if they fall

• Lay on logs in ponds to collect sunlight

• All turtles lay their eggs on land

• Sometimes, snapping turtles bite and don’t let go

Ping pong balls Eggs

Turtle nest

Turtles on a logSnapping Turtle

General Facts and Knowledge• Largest turtle is called a Socata

• Spine that attaches to shell

• Group of turtles are called a bale

• Lay up to 200 eggs

• Turtle on Turtle

Carapace allows the shell to attach to the spine

General facts and knowledge

• Eggs are the size of ping-pong balls

• Use their neck to get up if they fall

• Lay on logs in ponds to collect sunlight

• All turtles lay their eggs on land

• Sometimes, snapping turtles bite and don’t let go

Ping pong balls Eggs

Turtle nest

Turtles on a logSnapping Turtle

Human Effects Pesticides• Pesticides poison, or severely injure the turtle • Makes the water in their habitat unable to support the turtles

Littering• The turtles mistake the trash for food• Can choke, or hurt the turtles stomach

Eating Turtle meat• People all over the world eat turtle meat and eggs• This lowers the turtles population for food for us

Gasoline• Gasoline effects the turtles like pesticides• Poison turtles• Destroy freshwater sources

Human Effects Pesticides• Pesticides poison, or severely injure the turtle • Makes the water in their habitat unable to support the turtles

Littering• The turtles mistake the trash for food• Can choke, or hurt the turtles stomach

Eating Turtle meat• People all over the world eat turtle meat and eggs• This lowers the turtles population for food for us

Gasoline• Gasoline effects the turtles like pesticides• Poison turtles• Destroy freshwater sources

Plan of Action Slide

• Don’t collect turtles for pets

• Help turtles cross the road

• Learn and teach

• Protect towns open spaces

• Go to www.turtlehomes.org

Somebody helping a turtle cross.

Bibliography• http://www.aquatic.uoguelph.ca/reptiles/books/book3/bookframe1.htm

• http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/13-animals/54-turtles.html

• http://www.gma.org/turtles/

• http://www.turtlehomes.org/

• http://www.turtlepuddle.org/kidspage/hibernation.html

• http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

• http://www.animalbehavioronline.com/turtlemigration.html

• http://www.42explore.com/turtle.htm

• http://www.blankparkzoo.com/en/explore_the_zoo/meet_the_animals_2/box_turtle.cfm

Bibliography

• Beane, Jeff. "That turtle ain't right." Wildlife North Carolina June 2005: 20-23. Print.

• Biel, Timothy. "Turtles." Zoobooks turtles Mar. 2003: 13. Print.

• Switzer, Merebeth. Turtles. Danbury,CT: Grolier, 1986. Print.

• Merick, Patrick. Turtles. Chanhassen, MN: Childs world, 2007. Print.

• Ernst, Carl. "Turtles." World Book, 2002. Print