William Kratz

Turtles, Tortoises, Terrapins

Order: Chelonia

Appearing around 200 million years ago, reptiles of the order Chelonia inherited a unique anatomy that is unmistakable!

Today there are 11 distinguished families of Chelonia that contain about 295 different species.

Built to last!

inner boneylayer

vertebra

plastron

ribscutes

shouldergirdle

pelvicgirdle

carapace

Turtle, Terrapin, or Tortoise?

Loggerhead Turtle Spotted Turtle

Galapagos Tortoise

Variety: The Spice of Life (survival)

Shell Shapes Cryptodira or Peurodira

Domed

Streamlined Cryptodira (straight-necked) flex neck vertebrae verticallyPeurodira (side-necked) flex neck vertebrae laterally

Variety: The Spice of Life (survival)

Limb Modification Carnivore, Omnivore, Herbivore

Turtles Of PennsylvaniaBog Turtle, Glyptemys muhlenbergii Blanding’s Turtle, Emydoidea blandingii

Endangered Species

3-4 inches in length

Lives in bogs and wet meadows with tussock grass

Candidate Species

6-11 inches in length

Prefers poorly drained lowlands, marshes, wet meadows, ponds, and slow-moving streams.

Turtles Of PennsylvaniaEastern Box Turtle, Terrapene carolina carolina

Spotted Turtle, Clemmys guttata

Species of Special Concern

5-8 inches in length

Lives in deciduous woodlands, old fields, pastures, and marshy areas.

Species of Special Concern

3.5-4.5 inches in length

Marshes, wet meadows, swamps, bogs, and shallow borders of ponds, lakes and streams for habitat.

Turtles Of PennsylvaniaNorthern Redbelly Cooter,Pseudemys rubriventris rubriventris

Midland Smooth Softshell Turtle,

Apalone mutica mutica

Threatened Species

10-12.5 inches in length

Prefers large lakes, ponds, slow-moving rivers, creeks and marshes.

Extirpated Species

6-13.4 inches in length

Only found in large rivers

Pecor, K. 2003. "Testudines" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed March 15, 2011 http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Testudines.html.

Smithsonian Institution. (2001). ANIMAL (pp. 366-375). New York, NY: DK Publishing, Inc

Turtles of Pennsylvania. (2008). In Pennsylvania Herp Identification online guide to reptiles & amphibians of PA. Retrieved March 15, 2011, from http://www.paherps.com/herps/turtles

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