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TERRAPINS By Sandie Lee Photo By Pelotes.jea.com
For 215 million years, our shelled friends have lived with a mistaken identity. It’s understandable. We think – if it has a shell, it must be a turtle…right? Not quite. There’s actually around 300 different species of turtles, tortoises and terrapins. So what’s the difference? To Be or Not To Be a Terrapin An easy way to tell a terrapin from a turtle is from its coloring. Terrapins have bright yellow and green patterns on their shells and bodies. These animals live in fresh or brackish (partly salted) water. They are commonly found in ponds and river beds where they will bask in the sun on rocks and logs. Their feet are designed both for swimming, with webbed toes and sharp claws for climbing. This small group includes the Slider and Red-Eared Slider which has jaunty red stripes along its face and is also commonly sold in stores. Do you know someone who keeps a terrapin as a pet? . Too Many Turtles Turtles, turtles everywhere, some even in the sea. Sea turtles live exclusively in the ocean waters. The only time they come ashore is to lay their eggs on a sandy beach. Unlike terrapins, their front legs are more like flippers. This enables them to swim and dive in the water. The Leatherback Turtle is the biggest sea turtle. It measures 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. Its average weight is 880 pounds, with the biggest one weighing in at 2015 pounds. How can he get so big? This turtle’s diet consists mainly of jellyfish. Out of all the species of turtles, there’s even a few that smell. The Stinkpot Turtle is one of them. This fellow gives off a powerful skunk-like odor when it feels danger is near. So don’t try to pick this guy up or you’ll be a stinkpot too! Unlike sea turtles, the Skinkpot doesn’t have flippers, so rather than swimming it prefers to crawl along the bottom of ponds and rivers. When it feels the temperature dropping, (below 10 degrees Celsius) it will bury itself in the sand and sleep away the winter. So the next time you see an animal that wears a shell, ask yourself…is this really a turtle? |
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