They are herbivores, mostly grazing on grasses, flowers and fruits. Radiated tortoises can grow up to 16 inches long and weigh 35 pounds. These yellow tortoises are identified by their tall, domed carapace and unique yellow star pattern that appears to “radiate” from the center of each scute on their dark shell. Radiated tortoises are native to one of the most diverse places on earth, Madagascar, and are found nowhere else in the world, at least not legally, but we’ll get to that in a bit. While both of these species are cool, there is one species that is pretty rad, and their species has been in the news recently. It is estimated that there are more than 350 species of turtles and tortoises, which include the world’s second largest, the Aldabra tortoise – which weighs more than 500 pounds, and the smallest species in the United States, the bog turtle – which weighs less than five ounces, both of which can be found at the Zoo. They have four legs, a tail, a head and their shell is made of two parts the top is called a carapace and the bottom is called a plastron, with their shells made of bony plates called scutes. Other than the shape of their feet, the anatomy of both turtles and tortoises is similar. Tortoises have “elephantine” feet and are specifically land-dwelling, but they are still fond of water and often take dips in shallow pools or mud bogs, which helps regulate their body temperature. Before we fully break out of the shell and introduce you to our rad friends, let’s slowly learn a little more about what classifies a tortoise versus a turtle.Īll tortoises are turtles, however not all turtles are tortoises – but what does this mean? Turtles have various types of feet and typically live in areas with water – marshes, ponds, bogs, oceans. These reptiles are easy to identify by almost anyone thanks to one physical feature – the shell. One of the most easily recognized types of animals in the world is a turtle or tortoise. Check Out These Rad Tortoises March 14, 2022
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