One of the larger South American river turtles, the Yellow-spotted river turtle can grow up to 45 cm long and weighing up to 8 kg. This species can be recognized by its black or brown oval carapace (shell) with distinctive low keels on the second and third scutes. Yellow spots on the side of its head give this species its common name. These spots are most prominent in juveniles. Females can be up to twice the size of males. read full article…
Turtles Category
The Wood Turtle (Clemmys insculpta) is one of four species in the Clemmys Genus which are all found in North America. read full article…
The Western Spiny Softshell Turtle (Apalone spinifera hartwegi) is a subspecies of softshelled turtle native to the western United States, from Arkansas to California. The epithet hartwegi is in honor of Dr. Norman Edouard Hartweg, a specialist in turtles and professor of zoology at the University of Michigan. read full article…
The Wattle Necked Soft Shelled Turtle is a turtle from the genus Palea. read full article…
Turtling is the hunting of turtles, a practice formerly a big part of the economy in many nations of the West Indies. In recent times, however, it has become outlawed. read full article…
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines (all living turtles belong to the crown group Chelonia), most of whose body is shielded by a special bony or cartilagenous shell developed from their ribs. The order of Testudines includes both extant (living) and extinct species, the earliest turtles being known from the early Triassic Period, making turtles one of the oldest reptile groups, and a much more ancient group than the lizards and snakes. About 300 species are alive today. Some species of turtles are highly endangered. read full article…
Trionychoidea is a superfamily of turtles which encompasses species that are commonly referred to as softshelled turtles. It consists of a single family, two subfamilies, and 14 genera. They are found throughout the temperate regions of the world. read full article…
Trionychidae is a taxonomic family which comprises a number of turtle genera commonly known as softshell turtles. It consists of some of the world’s largest fresh water turtles. Members of this family occur in Africa, Asia, North America, and the East Indies. They are called softshelled turtles because their carapace lacks any scutes, and is leathery and pliable at the sides. They are often eaten as a delicacy in many parts of East Asia. read full article…
The Big Bend Slider (Trachemys gaigeae) is a species of aquatic turtle native to the United States in the states of New Mexico and Texas, and northern Mexico in the state of Chihuahua. It is found primarily in the Rio Grande and Rio Conchos river systems. The epithet gaigeae is in honor of the American herpetologist, Helen Beulah Thompson Gaige, who collected the first specimen in the Big Bend region of Texas in 1928. The species was first described by professor of zoology at the University of Michigan, Dr. Norman Edouard Hartweg in 1939. It was for a time considered to be a species of Cooter, genus Pseudemys, and then a subspecies of the Pond Slider, Trachemys scripta, but it was granted full species status, though many sources still refer to it by its various synonyms. read full article…
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