The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-12
CONCERNING TURTLES.


weigh a Ton.
New York Evening Post.
turtle waddling his solitary way along
some water course, attracts little interest
outside of his clumsy, grotesque shape, yet
few who look upon him are able to give. off
hand, even bare half-dozen facts about
this humble creature. And If they could
give any, their information would be linn
tied to two or three usages his body is put
to-soup and mandolin picks-also combs.
There are about two hundred different
kinds of turtles. and they live in all parts
of the world, except in very cold countries.
Australia has the fewest. and North and
Central America tha greatest number of
species. Evolutionists can tell us nothing
of their origin, for as far back in geological
ages as they are found fossil Ia matter of
a little over 100000 years., all are true
turtles, not half turtles and half something
else Crocodies and alligators, with their
hard, leathery coats, come as near to them
as any living creature, and when We see
a huge swapping turtle come out of the wa
ter, and walk about on land we cannot but
be reminded of the fellow with the armour
er back.
Turtles are found on the sea and on the
land, the marine forms deserving the name
of turtles, more properly; tortoises being
those living on land or in fresh water, but
we will use the name turtles as significant
Of the whole class. The most natural way
of classifying these creatures is by the way
the head and neck are drawn back under
one side, or drawn straight back, bending
s.,ko q
The skull of the turtle is massive, and
some have thick, false roofs on top of the
usual brain box.
The house shell of turtle is made
up of separate pieces of bone, central row
along the back, and others arranged around
the skin of the back changed to bone. Our
ribs are directly under the skin of the back.
and if this skin should harden into bone
like substance, the ribs would lie fiat
against Ii and this is the case with the
ribs of turtles. So when we marvel that
the ribs of turtle are on the outside Of its
body, a second thought will show that this
is just as true of us as OF these reptiles.
This hardening of the skin has brought
about some interesting changes in the body
of the turtle. In all the higher animals
from fishes up to man backbone Is OF the
greatest Importance, not only to carry the
nerves and blood vessels, but to support the
entire body. In turtles alone the string OF
vetebrae is unnecessary. the shell giving
dom allows unused tissues or organs to re-
main, these bones along the back become, In
many species. reduced to mere thread.
make up the she'll although SO " different in
appearance from skin, yet have the same
life-processes. Occasionally it mouths or
peels. the outer part coming Off in great
flakes. Each piece grows by the addition
of rings of horn at the joints and dixie the
rings of a tree tie age of turtles, except
very old ones, can be told by the number
are very distinct in species which live in
temperate climates. Here they are COM
PEELED to hibernate during the winter, and
this cessation of growth marks the inter-
the rings are absent or indistinct. 1t is to
this mode of growth that the spreading of
initials which are cut into the shell is due,
just as letters carved on trunks of trees
in time broaden and bulge outward.
The shell has the power of regeneration,
and when portion is torn away or crushed
the injured parts are gradually cast off, and
from the surrounding edges q new covering
of horn grows out. One-third of the entire
shell has been known to be thus replaced
Although so slow in their locomotion and
actions, turtles have well-developed senses
Then can see very distinctly, and the power
of smell is especially acute, certain turtles
being very discriminating in the matter of
their food. They are very sensitive to touch
shell. Their hearing is more imperfect,
but as they have tiny piping voices during
the mating season this sense must be OF
some use.
Water tortoises can remain beneath the
surface for hours and even days at a time
In addition to the lungs, there are two small
sacks near the tail which allow the animal
to use the oxygen in the water as an aid in
breathing.
All turtles lay eggs, the shells of which
are white and generally of a parchment
like character They are deposited i'm the
ground i'm sand and hatch either by the
warmth of the decaying vegetation or the
heat Of the sun. In temperate countries the
eggs remain over winter, and the little tur-
ties do not emerge until spring. The eggs
of turtles are very good to eat, and the oil
contained in them is put to many uses
Young turtles have a hard time of it i'm all