Jenis Kura kura

Sedikit yang tahu ada lebih 300 jenis kura kura di dunia, berdasarkan fisik dan
prilaku dapat diklasifikasikan dalam beberapa kategori yaitu:
Untuk kura-kura terbesar adalah kura kura belimbing dengan panjang sekitar 6,6
ft (2,011 M) dan berat 2000 lbs (907,2 kg) dan kura kura terkecil di dunia adalah
kura kura padloper berbintik bitnik (speckled padloper tortoise) degan panjang
3,1 inc (7,9 cm) dan berat 5 onz (0,14 kg).
Perbedaan Turtle dan tortoise adalah Turtle merupakan kura2 yang hidup di air
baik air laut atau tawar, sementara Tortoise hidup di darat.
2 sub orders.
Kura2 adalah reptile yang berasal dari order testudines (Testudines Order) dan
selanjutnya dapat dibagi dalam 14 family, yang total seluruhnya ada 97 genera of
species reptile.
Testudines Order
Suborder
Cryptodira (11 families) dimana karakteristiknya mampu menarik lagi kepalanya
kedalam cangkangnya
Carettochelyidae.

Penyu sisik (Carettochelys insculpta ) atau kura-kura berhidung babi (pig-nosed

turtle), Fly River turtle atau pitted-shelled turtle adalah satu-satunya spesies
keluarga Carettochelyidae yang hidup, subfamili Carettochelyinae. Anda
menemukan kura-kura ini di selatan New Guinea dan Australia Utara.

Cheloniidae
Merupakan keluarga dari kura kura laut.

Caretta Caretta or Loggerhead sea turtle

Lepidochelys olivacea or the Olive Ridley

Lepidochelys-kempii or Ridleys sea turtles (Kemps)

Chelonia mydas or Green sea faring turtle

Olive Ridley merupakan kura kura laut terkecil dengan ukuran 2,5 ft ( 0,76 m) dan berat
sekitar 80 110 pounds ( 36,3 49,9 kg)
 Kura-kura Laut Hijau berbeda karena mereka hanya memiliki satu pasang skala
prefrontal tidak seperti kura-kura laut lainnya yang memiliki dua pasang di depan mata
mereka. Kura-kura ini juga menggunakan nama Black Sea Turtle dan memiliki rahang
bergerigi di kepala tumpul kecil. Tubuhnya datar dan lonjong. Plastron bervariasi antara
putih dan kuning dan memiliki warna kuning pucat, kuning tua sampai hijau dan coklat
yang menonjolkan garis-garis pada tubuh.

Chelydridae
Ini termasuk keluarga kura-kura laut dengan hanya dua genera hidup yang
tersebar luas di Belahan Barat dan meliputi:
Chelydra, snapping turtle Macrochelys (Alligator Snapping Turtle)
Snapping Turtle pd umumnya (Chelydra serpentina) termasuk keluarga Chelydridae dan
merupakan kura-kura air tawar yang besar. Di alam, jangkauan mereka terbentang di barat
daya batas Pegunungan Rocky di sebelah tenggara Kanada dan timur Nova Scotia dan Florida
yang jauh. Snapping Turtle juga memiliki kulit atau karapas yang membungkus punggung
mereka seperti kura-kura lainnya. Panjang tempurung kura-kura biasanya antara 8 dan 8 inci
(20 21 cm). Warna plastron mereka berkisar dari coklat tua hingga cokelat atau bahkan hitam.
Dalam perjalanan pertumbuhannya, cangkang snapping turtle menerima lapisan alga dan
lumpur. Panjang ekor snapping turtle sama dengan panjang cangkangnya; sebuah ridge yang
tajam berjalan menembus panjangnya. Kepalanya berwarna gelap, sementara ekornya, kaki
dan lehernya memiliki rona kuning. Mulutnya memiliki bentuk paruhnya, dan itu bertulang, kuat
dan ompong. Penyu sisik memiliki kulit kasar yang memiliki benjolan khas pada kaki dan leher
mereka yang diberi nama tuberkel. Mereka memiliki kaki bersepatu dengan cakar kokoh.
Sebuah plastron yang merupakan piring keras menutupi perut kura-kura. Plastron snapping
turtle kecil, Anda bisa melihat sebagian besar tubuhnya.

Dermatemydidae
Dermochelyidae
Emydidae
Geoemydidae
Kinosternidae
Platysternidae
Testudinidae
Trionychidae
Peurodira (3 families)
Chelidae
Pelomedusidae
Podocnemididae

It was John Edward Gray in 1870 who named this family of Sea turtles whose only living
genus is Dermatemys or the Central American Sea Turtle

Description of Dermatemys

Hickatee Turtle

This is a Central American River Turtle, or Dermatemys mawii, the Mesoamerican river
turtle with a local nickname Tortuga Blanca or Hickatee." This represents the only
extant (living) species of the Dermatemydidae family. This is an aquatic nocturnal turtle
mainly inhabiting larger lakes and rivers of Central America, and you find them spread
over from the South of Mexico to the North of the Honduras. Due to heavy exploitation,
the IUCN has classified them in the list of critically endangered animals.

5. Dermochelyidae

Most of this family of sea turtles is extinct. The sole living genus includes the sea turtle
with the scientific name Dermochelyidae that includes the largest living sea turtles in the
world

6. Emydidae

You find them widespread in the Western Hemisphere and they number about 10
genera and 50 species except for 2 species of pond turtles
 Description of the Western Pond Turtle

(Actinemys Marmorata or Emys Marmorata)

These turtles belonging to the family Emydidae also go by the name or Pacific pond
turtle. They are of medium size and grow up to about 8 inches (20 cm). They mainly
inhabit the West coast of Mexico and America from Western Washington to Northern
Baja California. The carapace of the turtle is dull olive or brown and the plastron has
blotches on a yellow skin.

7. Geoemydidae

The Geoemydidae are an extremely large and diverse family of turtles with about 70
species belonging to the order of the Testudines or the Chelonii that have a
characteristic special cartilaginous or bony shell evolved from their ribs to act as a
shield. This family includes the Neotropical wood turtles and the Eurasian pond and
river turtles.

8. Kinosternidae

Consisting of four genera that includes 25 species, these turtles are mostly small and
include the musk turtles and the mud turtles

Description of Musk Turtles

Musk turtle belongs to the species of Stemotherys odoratus of a small group inhabiting
southeastern provinces of Canada and most of the regions of the Eastern parts of the
United States. Stinkpot," is another name as it gives out a musky foul smell from the
scent glands that you find on the rim of its carapace, perhaps to drive away the
predators. The name stinkpot signifies the tiny glands that are under the edge of its
shell that emits for self-defense, a foul smelling musk. While in captivity these turtles do
not do this often. However, it is not a problem regarding hygiene. (Your house will not
smell bad for keeping one)

The habitation of common musk turtle is always where there are water bodies like
shallow, clear water lakes, rivulets, ponds, lakes or rivers; you can hardly find these
turtles anywhere else. When they are in the water, these turtles remain in the shallow
portion of the water body. At times we find them basking on the overhanging branches
of trees above the water or submerged fallen tree trunks.

Stinkpot or musk turtles have high dome shaped shells, small in size, brown, gray or
black in color. Their length is almost 5.1 to 14cm (2.0 to 5.5") and their aggregate weight
is 603gm (1.329lb). Their legs are short and they have long necks

9. Platysternidae

Found in Southern China and Southeast Asia, this includes big-headed turtle
(Platysternon megacephalum)
Description of The Big-Headed Turtle
 (Platysternon Megacephalum)

Peculiarly, this big-headed turtle uses its tail to enhance the reach of its claws to climb
over obstacles in fast streams and rivers. Its beak assists in climbing bushes and trees.
They occasionally use the tail like a scorpions arch. Because it cannot pull its head into
the shell, it defends itself by using its powerful jaws. For food it eats fish and snails.

10. Testudinidae

This is a family of land reptiles and includes the Aldabrachelys gigantean or the Aldabra
giant tortoise

Description of Aldabrachelys gigantean or the Aldabra giant tortoise

These are giant land tortoises living in the Seychelles in the Aldabra Atoll. They are
about the bigger world tortoises, for which reason people refer to them as gigantic
Aldabrachelys. They have a high domed carapace with a tan or brown color, heavily
scaled stout and strong limbs to support its weight and a very long neck that can eat
 leaves from the branches of trees at one meter from the ground surface. Their size
averages around 4 feet (120 cm) and a male will weigh about 550 pounds or (250kg),
with the females slightly smaller with a carapace size of 35 inches of 90 cm and
weighing about 330 pounds or (150 kg)

11.Trionychidae

The Softshells or Pancake turtles belong to this taxonomicfamily. The soft shells are
some of the largest fresh water turtles in the world, but they can adapt to highly brackish
areas and belong mainly to Asia, Africa and North America

Description of the Florida Softshell turtle

((Apalone ferox) ) is a type of soft shell turtle

The Florida Softshell turtle (Apalone ferox) is a type of a soft shell turtle whose habitat is
the Southeastern United Sates. The typical characteristic of the Florida Softshell turtle is
that its carapace color is deep brown fading to olive green. The color of its belly is
cream or white. The carapace conceals and shields the juvenile turtles from their
predators. They have stout tails. Their tails, legs and head are more or less of the same
color. Running through from the rear of the eye all along their neck is an orange or
cream line with a black border. Both the male and female have on their shell blotches,
streaks or dark spots. The infant smooth Softshell turtles have olive, black or brown
colored shells, with many stains. In appearance, they are like spiny Softshell turtles.

The habitat of the smooth Softshell turtles is South-central and central parts of the
United States. They spread over from Pennsylvania to New Mexico and south of the
Florida panhandle. Simply put, their habitat is North America.

Peurodira (consisting of 3 families)

 1. Chelidae

Belonging to the suborder of Pleurodira, the Chelidae live throughout South America,
parts of Indonesia, New Guinea and Australia. Most people refer to these turtles as the
Austro-South American side-neck turtles. A famous example of these turtles is Chelus
fimbriatus or the Mata mata freshwater turtle endemic to the Amazon and Orinoco
basins in South America. It is the only living species belonging to the genus Chelus.

Description of Chelus Fimbriatus or the Mata Mata freshwater turtle

The full-grown mata mata turtle weighs 15kg (33lb), and has a life span of 40-75 years.
These sedentary turtles are large. The head with many flaps of skin and tubercles is flat
and triangular. The snout tubular and manifests in a long form with a horn". A mature
Mata Malta has an oblong carapace that is either brown or black.

2. Pelomedusidae

These are a family of round shaped fresh water turtles that inhabit Southern and
Eastern Africa, and have a size range of 12 to 45 cm (4.7 to 17.7 inches). These turtles
cannot withdraw their heads into their shells, and instead, have to fold them beneath the
upper edge of their shells, for which reason people refer to them as African Side-
Necked Turtles, an example of which is African Helmeted Turtle (Pelomedusa subrufa)

Description of African Helmeted Turtle

(Pelomedusa subrufa)
 African Helmeted Turtle

This omnivorous side-necked turtle goes also by the name of Crocodile turtle or marsh
turtle. You can find them mostly in stagnant and freshwater bodies. They inhabit most of
Africa and southern Yemen. These are rather small turtles with a carapace length of up
to 20 cm. They have a yellowish under side while the tops of the limbs and tail have a
grayish brown color.

3. Podocnemididae

These side necked turtles belonging to the suborder Peurodira inhabit northern South
America and Madagascar. They are all aquactic and inhabit flowing water and streams.
Their streamlined shells aid in swimming. A classic example of this family is
Podocnemis unifilis or the Yellow-spotted River Turtle

Description of the Yellow-spotted River Turtle

(Podocnemis unifilis)
 Yellow-spotted River Turtle

The Turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) represents the largest of the river turtles inhabiting
South America. It can attain a length 45 cm and an eight kg weight. The brown or black
upper shell (carapace) and the yellow spots on the lateral sides of the head (that
account for its spotted" name), distinguish this turtle. You will find these side-necked-
turtles in the Amazon Basins of South American lakes and tributaries. They feed mainly
on small invertebrates, fish weeds and fruits during the flood season.

Various Turtle Types

Sea Turtles
Sea turtles belong to the families Dermochelyidae and Cheloniidae that account for 7
living species of these marine reptilian animals. You can find sea turtles in all the World
oceans except the Arctic Ocean. When you think turtles" these are the species that
come to mind. Their division is as given under:
 Dermochelyidae family-One monotypic genera only (non family member- leatherback
sea turtle

Cheloniidae family- polytypic genera (1) + monotypic genera (4)

True Tortoises
True Tortoises belong to the family Testudinidae and covers all the land based species
of these reptiles. They undergo a further sub-division into 2 subfamilies is as follows

Testudininae 38 species
Xerobatinae 6 species

Aldabra Giant Tortoise

These 44 living species represent the entirety of the true tortoise population on the
earth, showing the great diversity of this family of turtles. An extremely popular
associate of the turtle family is the Aldabra giant tortoise that many acknowledge as the
largest of the species in the world.

Snapping Turtles
Belonging to the Chelydridae family, snapping turtles, in the monotypic-genera consist
of two species-the Common" and the alligator" types. These turtles spread abundantly
across South and North America and partly in Asia

Mud Turtles and Musk Turtles

Mud and Musk turtles belong to family Kinosternidae and are small animals. Though
consensus on the classification is not available in the case of these turtles, most expert
group them as 25 living species under four genera. These species of turtles live in the
muddy bottoms of stagnant or slow moving water bodies and release a found smelling
odor that gives them the tile, Musk Turtles."

Softshell Turtles
The Trionychidae family includes what the experts call Softshells or the Softshell turtles.
Their distinct characteristics include a carapace with a hard center and leathery edges
without the customary horny scales, the sole exception being the spiny Softshell,
exhibiting scaly projections on its carapace. These turtles are endemic to South
 America, Africa and Asia and consist of 2 sub-families (Trionychinae and
Cyclanorbinae) that include 13 living turtle genera.

Central American River Turtles

The family Dermatemydidae has only one survivor and that is the Central American
river turtle that inhabits the Central American rivers. IUCN or the International Union for
Conservation of Nature that is the largest and oldest world environmental organization
has included this turtle in the list of endangered species. Similar to the impending
extinction of the pig nosed turtle, when the Central American river turtles cease to exist,
it will result in the total extinction of the entire family Dermatemydidae forever.

Side-necked Turtles
Side-necked turtles, have this special distinction of turning their neck towards the side
and tucking their head into a hollow close to their anterior legs, and do not retract it
inside the shell. These turtles normally inhabit the earths southern hemisphere. The
geographical range of these turtles classifies them into 2 families- Chelidae," that
includes the side-necked turtles of extant side-necked turtle species are further
classified into two families based on their geographical range family Chelidae, which
comprises side-necked turtles (Austro-American), and the Pelomedusidae family,
comprising:

The American side-neck river turtles

The Madagascan big-headed turtles

The African side-neck turtles