The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-08
FACTS ABOUT
The TURTLE
Interesting Story of SpineIess
Reptile of Endless Aces.
LIFE LASTS 400 YEARS
The Swapping Turtle and Its
Peculiar Methods.

A 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 informa-
ton w11uld be limited to two or three US
ages his body is put to-soup and mando-
lin 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 coun-
tries. Australia has the fewest, and
North and Central America the greatest
number of species. Evolutionists can tell
us nothing of their origin. for as far back
in geological ages as they are found fos-
sid a matter of little over ten million
years., of all true turtles. not half tur-
ties and half something else. Croco-
dies and ailigators 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 water, and walk about on land we
cannot be but reminded of the fellow with
the armourer back.
Turtles are found on the sea and on
the land, them arine forms deserving the
name of turtles. more properly; tortoises
being those living on land or in fresh
water, but we viii 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 the shell; whether
straight back, bending the neck into a
letter shape.
The skull of the turtle is massive. and
come have thick false roofs on top of
the usual brain box.
! The house" or shell of a turtle is
made up of separate pieces of bone
central row along the back, and others
arranged around both sides. These
are really pieces of 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 asbone-like sub
stance, the ribs would lie fiat against it,
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 rep
tiles.
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 tur-
ties alone the string of vertebrate is I'M
necessary, the shell giving all the sup
port needed. So as Nature seldom al
lows unused tissues or organs to remain
these bones along the back become, in
many species, reduced to a mere thread.
The pieces of bone or horn which go
to make up the shell, although so differ
ent in appearance from skin, yet have the
same life-processes. Occasionally it mouths
or pels. the outer part coming off in
great flakes. Each piece grows by the
addition of rings of horn at the joints.
and Qike the rings of a tree the age of
turtles except very old ones. can be told
by the number of circles of horn on each
piece The rings are very distinct in
species which live in temperate climates.
Here they are compelled to hibernate
during the winter, and the cessation OF
growth marks the intervals between each
ring In tropical turtles the rings are
absent or distinct. 1t is TO this mode of
growth that the spreading of initials
which are cut into the shell is due. just
as letters are carved on trunks of trees
IN time broaden and bulge outward.
The shell has the power of regenera-
ton and when a portion is torn away
or crushed the injured parts are gracu-
ally cast off. and from the surrounding
edges a new covering OF horn grows out
One-third of the entire shell has been
known to have been thus replaced.
Although so slow in their loeomotion
and actions. turtles have well-developed
senses They 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. and will react to
the least tap on their shell. Their hear
ing 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 4
surface for hours and even days at
time In addition TO the lungs. there /
are two small sacs near the tail which
GLOW the animal 10 use the oxygen in
the water as an dlu ~ tASathit&S-
All turtles lay eggs. the shells OF :
which are white and generally OF a i
rarchment-like character. They are de- I
posted IN the ground or in sand. and (
hatch either by the warmth OF the de- 4
caying vegetation or the heat of the sun. I
In temperate countries the eggs remain 1
over winter. and the little turtles do not /
emerge until spring. The eggs OF turtles 4
are very good tc eat and the oil con-
tanned in them is put 70 many uses. 4
Young turtles have s hard time of IT, in 4
al the countries they inhabit. for thous- 1
ends are devoured by stori1s. allgators /
and fishes Even old turtles have many 4
enemies. not the least curious being jag 4
uars. which watch for them turn them 4
on their backs with a flap Of their paw,
and eat them at leisure
Leathery turtlcs-which live in the sea-
have been reported weighing over a ton.
This species is very rare. and a curious I
circumstance Is that only very large
adults or very small baby Individuals
have beer seen. the turtles OF all immed-
tate sgrowths keeping out OF view in the
great OCEAN.
Swapping turtles are among the fiercest
creatures In the world. Their first in
etipct on leaving the egg is TO open their
nnuths and bite At something They j